Atlanta Hawks offense relying heavily on Dennis Schroder
The continued progression of Dennis Schroder is having a significant impact on the Atlanta Hawks.
The 20.2 points and 6.5 assists per game that Atlanta Hawks point guard Dennis Schroder is averaging don’t properly signify just how much of an impact he is having on the team.
Each night opponents are having to make adjustments to slow down Schroder, even though the Hawks don’t have any other player on the roster averaging 13 points a night.
The Cavaliers ran out of defensive options and had to switch LeBron James onto Schroder after he exploded for 21 points in the first 24 minutes of Thursday’s contest.
Cleveland hasn’t been the only team that has struggled to contain him, as Schroder ranks seventh among all point guards in scoring this season. Over the past five games, Schroder has averaged 22 points per game on 51.7 percent shooting from the field, along with 4.8 assists per game.
The 24-year-old guard out of Germany is posting the highest averages in minutes, points and assists on the Hawks roster, effectively carrying an offense that is completely reliant on him.
The passing and shooting of Schroder has accounted for 34.5 percent of the total field goal attempts made by Atlanta, and he has missed two contests.
For an offense that ranks 23rd in offensive rating, scoring 104.7 points for every 100 possessions, many of those points come off Schroder simply attacking the basket. Each night, Schroder is slashing to the rim 19.1 times per game, the highest figure in the NBA this year, leading to 10.9 points a night on 51.7 percent shooting.
From nearly everywhere on the court, Schroder has emerged as an efficient shooter, connecting on career-highs of 46.2 percent from the field and 87 percent at the foul line.
Part of the uptick in scoring productivity from Schroder has been the dramatic shooting percentage between 10-16 feet away from the rim. This season, Schroder has knocked down 58 percent of his attempts from that range, up from 39.2 a year ago.
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Schroder could easily increase his scoring average if he managed to draw more contact on all of his drives to the rim. Of the 368, 134 have come within five feet of the basket, the 19th-most in the league.
Only Schroder fails to capitalize by initiating contact with his frequent attacks on the rim. Schroder is tied for 57th in the NBA in free throw attempts alongside Jeff Teague, Dwyane Wade and Derrick Favors.
Schroder is one of just four players, along with Paul George, Klay Thompson and C.J. McCollum, to average over 20 points a night while attempting fewer than four free throws a game.
In 306 career appearances, Schroder has attempted 10 or more free throws just three times. Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has attempted 13 or more free throws in three of his past four games and his 9.6 free throw attempts per game is nearly three times that of Schroder.
Getting to the free throw line has been a problem for the entire Hawks team, with Kent Bazemore serving as the only player to attempt more than the 3.3 free throws a night Schroder is averaging. Atlanta ranks 27 in free throw attempts, but 23rd in scoring, even without any proven scoring options alongside Dennis Schroder.
This Hawks team has submitted a total of 24 efforts with 20 or more points this year, and 12 have been from Schroder.
Atlanta is scoring an average of 5.1 more points per 100 possessions with Schroder on the court, an astonishing fact considering he has to create so many of his own shots. Of his 145 shots made inside of the 3-point arc, only 13.8 percent of the field goals were set up by an assist.
Head coach Mike Budenhozler has managed to transform Dennis Schroder into a legitimate offensive facilitator this year. Schroder ranks third in total passes per game, dishing out 65.3 passes each night, leading to 6.5 assists a game, the 11th highest total in the league.
Despite the lofty pass total, Schroder has been much more careful with the ball, with his turnovers decreasing by 0.4 per game from last year.
Next: 2017-18 Week 8 NBA Power Rankings
The Hawks don’t possess an explosive offense, or many weapons to score the ball, but the efficient scoring and passing of Dennis Schroder is becoming a problem for the rest of the league.