Detroit Pistons: Dennis Schorder is not the answer

Atlanta Hawks point guard Dennis Schroder is apparently displeased with where the franchise is heading and could become available. The Detroit Pistons should probably not bite.

The Detroit Pistons could be in the market to add another point guard. There is a good chance Dennis Schroder is traded from the Atlanta Hawks.

After two straight seasons of being derailed by Reggie Jackson injuries and a new regime incoming, there is also a chance that the Pistons decide they need a new point guard. As such the combination seems to make some sense, maybe the Pistons should look into Dennis Schroder.

Schroder expressed not wanting to spend his prime years losing in an interview in his native Germany. He unfollowed all things Atlanta Hawks on social media. Schroder said he could see himself with the Pacers or Bucks since they, “are going in the right direction”.

There’s a lot of hints that he no longer wants to be a Hawk.

Schroder isn’t an upgrade at point guard offensively

The problem is that swapping Jackson for Schroder (more on that later) would very likely fix few problems that the Pistons face with Jackson at the helm. Most of the flaws that Jackson has are present in Schroder’s game, except often even worse.

The primary problem is that Schroder can’t really shoot. Schroder shot just 29 percent from deep last year and is only at 32 percent in his career. He ranks in just the 18th percentile as a spot-up shooter per synergy.

With Griffin and Drummond in the front-court, there was already (overstated, but still valid) worry about the Pistons ability to space the floor. Jackson is not a great shooter, but he is not bad.

As a Piston, Jackson has shot 34.3 percent from deep. As a spot-up shooter, Jackson ranked in the 54th percentile this season per synergy. While that isn’t great, defenses have to show some basic respect for Jackson’s ability to shoot.

Schroder will scare no one with his shooting.

Beyond the lack of shooting, Schroder has many of the same issues Jackson has with being too ball-dominant while not being an efficient scorer. Schroder’s career true shooting percentage is just 51.6 percent. That is really not a good number.

Schroder is a liability in other areas

The problem even continues onto the defensive end of the floor. Schroder (much like Jackson) is often un-attentive on defense and also does not always give great effort.

Jackson is able to cover up for some of these flaws with his size which allows him to make up ground and also have some versatility on defense. Schroder’s speed allows him to make some plays, but he is undersized.

Lastly, Dennis Schroder is a problem in the locker room. The stories about his attitude and personality are widely spread and well known.

One of the prime examples of how loathed Dwight Howard was in Atlanta was that he somehow managed to make Dennis Schroder a sympathetic figure in the locker room. At times, Jackson has been involved in locker room issues.

It is not on the same level as what you hear about Schroder.

Some qualities with Schroder

It would be unfair to not point out where Schroder brings value. Schroder possesses elite speed with the ball in his hands and an explosion to slice apart defenses and get into the lane.

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Even at his best, Jackson did not possess the same explosion that Schroder does. Jackson likely has lost some of his original explosion in a post knee-injury world.

Schroder is significantly better in this regard.

If the new regime were to decide that Jackson has to go, they could do worse than Schroder. First off, he does fill the need of being a fairly competent starting point guard.

In his first year as a starter, he was very good on a team that finished 5th in the Eastern Conference. On top of that, Schroder also possesses the skills that make Jackson appealing for the Pistons. Schroder is a very good pick and roll ball-handler and effective in isolation.

Schroder also has been fairly durable in his young career which would perhaps be the most appealing thing of all to the Detroit Pistons.

Schroder by the numbers

The other thing that makes it a bit hard to evaluate Schroder is that he is a good player who spent last year on a very bad team. In his first year as a starter, Schroder averaged 17.9 points, 6.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds, shot 45.1 percent from the field and 34 percent from deep. That came out to a true shooting percentage of 53 percent.

Other than the volume numbers, he regressed in nearly every category this past season. Given the lack of talent around him, there is some reason to believe that he could get back to those previous highs. If he could produce like he did in his first year starting, then it could be a very good move for the Pistons.

In the end, the biggest problem with going for Schroder is that it would be a tough move for the Pistons to make successfully.

The Detroit Pistons would likely need to either find a third team to take on Jackson or give the Hawks significant assets to acquire Schroder. The problem is that Schroder is a minor (if still important) upgrade over Reggie Jackson at best.

We know that when Jackson is healthy the Pistons can be very good with him at the helm. There is even a chance that Schroder would make them worse than a healthy Jackson. To give up significant assets when the cupboard is already quite bare, a small upgrade is not a great place to be in.

If the new regime decides that they want to move on from Jackson, Schroder would be an option. The Pistons could certainly do worse than him.

The cost for a marginal improvement would likely be too high given the Detroit Pistons would find themselves with many of the same problems that they already have.

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Dennis Schroder is not the answer for the Detroit Pistons

By Joseph Sinke | May 29, 2018