The Detroit Pistons walked away from the NBA trade deadline with a useful player who fills a need in Dennis Schroder.
They also landed Lindy Waters III and two second-round picks, and the best part was that they didn’t have to give up anything but cap space to get them.
It wasn’t the blockbuster some fans wanted, but there were no realistic star options for the Pistons that didn’t come with huge red flags, so Trajan Langdon was smart to add some future assets, as well as a moderate injection of talent who can help now.
Schroder may get tested early, as Cade Cunningham is listed as questionable for tonight’s game vs. The 76ers, so the Pistons may need Schroder to step into a big role right away.
Schroder isn’t an elite point guard by any means, but he’ll provide solid production, some 3-point shooting and most importantly, someone who can handle the ball effectively when Cade Cunningham is out of the game.
Schroder takes care of the ball, so should provide a stabilizing force to the Pistons, who have been better of late, but still have issues with turnovers.
Schroder immediately reminded me of another small Pistons guard and the two have plenty of similarities other than height.
Dennis Schroder: The second coming of Ish Smith for the Pistons
Schroder is better than Ish Smith ever was, but the two have many similarities.
Both are on the small side, as Ish Smith is just six feet tall and Schroder clears him by an inch.
They are both players who are/were effective off the bench, as Schroder has finished in the top-10 for the 6th Man of the Year award three times and is comfortable as either a starter or coming off the pine.
Like Smith, Schroder can provide an instant change-of-pace with his ability to get to the rim. Both guys can get into the paint at will to set up teammates and will occasionally take over games with their scoring.
Smith was one of the more high-energy players I’ve ever seen and would often come in like a cyclone and rack up stats in a hurry, which Schroder can also do, albeit with a more sophisticated scoring bag than the one Smith carried.
This will be Schroder’s 10th team in his career (if you count Utah), including two stints with the Lakers.
Smith played for just about every team in the NBA, but longest with the Pistons, as he was in Detroit for three years, where he was a fan favorite because of his hustle and work ethic.
Both guys have been around, know how to play a role on a good team, so I expect Schroder will slide right into the Pistons’ rotation without much time needed to adjust.
Dennis Schroder is the LeBron James of Ish Smiths, and is a guy who will have some big nights that win games for the Pistons.