Atlanta Hawks: 2017-18 player grades for Dennis Schroder

Strengths

Schroder had the ball in his hands more this year than any other point in his brief career, as his 30.4 percent usage rate attests. With this newfound freedom to run the offense, Schroder increased his scoring average (19.4 points per game) while also setting career bests in offensive win shares (1.5), offensive box plus/minus (1.5) and Player Efficiency Rating (17.3).

Another impressive aspect of Schroder’s season was that he took better care of the rock even though his responsibilities increased; his turnover rate dropped from 16.3 percent to 12.7. Schroder also got a slight bump in his assist rate (36.2 percent).

While the per game numbers seem pretty mundane (6.2), that figure had more to do with the futility of the Hawks than anything else. Shroder ranked sixth in the league in passes per game and finished 12th in potential assists. If nothing else, Schroder has proven himself to be a better facilitator than some would give him credit for.

Schroder showed that he could adequately fill the role of a starting NBA point guard. He’s a good passer and is fast and crafty enough to create openings for his teammates. His numbers will improve as the team improves.