Oklahoma City Thunder: Can they stay afloat without Dennis Schroder?

The Oklahoma City Thunder will be without Dennis Schroder for an indefinite period, leaving a sizable void as they fight for seeding position.

After playing in just one game for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA’s restart, Dennis Schroder departed to attend the birth of his second child. However, this news was not unexpected, as Schroder stated back in July that he would be leaving the bubble to be by his wife’s side.

Via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin:

"“I’m not going to leave my life by herself while she’s having the second baby,” he told reporters last month. “I’m for sure going to go there and support her and try as much as I can to be there for my family.“I love my teammates. I love basketball. But family comes first all the time.”"

Given Schroder’s fantastic season for the Thunder this season, the 26-year-old’s absence will undoubtedly be a devastating blow. Coming off the bench, Schroder averaged 18.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.0 assists this season, arguably asserting himself as the Sixth Man of the Year favorite for the 2019-20 NBA season.

With Dennis Schroder coming off the bench behind Chris Paul and ascending second-year star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Oklahoma City Thunder had a dynamic floor general on the court at all times. Schroder served as the perfect third variable to Oklahoma City’s three-headed-monster in their guard rotation, and with their sixth man out, they could suffer some setbacks without his presence.

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During Monday’s game against the Denver Nuggets, Schroder’s first game without the team, the guard’s absence was on full display. The Thunder lost 121-113 in overtime despite a combined 67 points between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chris Paul, and Danilo Gallinari.

Oklahoma City’s bench combined to score a measly 27 points in the loss, 13 of them coming from Abdel Nader by himself. It was a game that they undoubtedly needed some scoring off the bench, bringing forth the question of whether they could stay afloat without Schroder.  Adjusting to life without the guard will be tough, but it is possible that they could continue their fight for a higher seeding. They already secured a spot in the postseason, the only question is whether they will fall or rise in the standings after dropping to the 6-seed today.

As for their remaining six seeding games, the Thunder will face three teams above .500 in the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, and Los Angeles Clippers, which will all be trying tasks. However, they will also take on three sub-.500 teams in the Memphis Grizzlies, Washington Wizards, and Phoenix Suns. This could be a very telling stretch with some challenging games and some very winnable games as the team fights for playoff position.

If the Thunder are going to make some noise during Schroder’s absence, they need the rest of their bench to step up significantly. Aside from Nader shooting an impressive 5-for-6 from the field, their reserves looked lifeless with 14 points in Monday’s loss. This team ranked within the top 10 of the league in bench points per game this season, scoring around 40 per game. With almost 19 of those points gone with Schroder, players such as Hamidou Diallo, Darius Bazley, and Andre Roberson need to step up to prevent them from dropping in the standings.

With a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer in Chris Paul at the helm, along with savvy veterans Steven Adams, Danilo Gallinari, and second-year stud Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder are still a promising team. Regardless, without Schroder, the bench has its share of questions, the most prominent revolving around if anyone could replicate the sixth man’s production.

If they are without Schroder for the long-term, things could get complicated, but optimistically, he will be back for their postseason run. When asked when he will know more about Dennis Schroder’s current status prior to the game against Denver, he said that more news would be coming soon.

"“I’ll have a chance probably to talk to him and find out a little bit more, if it’s not later today or tomorrow. Right now, for at least this game, he’ll be out. We’ll probably be able to gather some more information once we get a chance to spend a little more time with him over the phone.”"

Schroder’s absence piles on more adversity for an Oklahoma City Thunder team that has already exceeded expectations, but they will not let it stand in their way. This team could be dangerous come playoff time with everyone there, but other reserves will need to take advantage of the opportunity to step up before then.