A notable Pistons departure from last season was Dennis Schroder. The veteran point guard chose to sign with the Kings as a likely starter rather than return to Detroit as a backup. After his successful summer, Pistons fans are already missing Schroder’s presence off the bench but the team’s remaining young guards seem ready to implement some of Schroeder’s best traits into their own games.
Jaden Ivey and Marcus Sasser learned from Schroder
In their media day interviews, both Jaden Ivey and Marcus Sasser commented on the lessons they learned watching Schroder last season. After being acquired at the trade deadline, Schroder played a key role for the Pistons the rest of the season and into the playoffs as the backup point guard.
Despite not having the most impressive regular season stats, Schroder had a positive impact on the team through his game management and steady offense. After playing in the league for more than a decade, Schroder is a great floor general who can help organize a team to get good looks even when his own shot isn’t falling. He also stepped up big-time in the playoffs and hit some crucial shots against the Knicks to help the Pistons secure road wins.
Jaden Ivey never actually played with Schroder, as his season had already ended due to injury before Schroder arrived in Detroit. But he still absorbed the positives of Schroder’s game. He gave a shoutout to Schroder’s decision-making and ability to “make all the right reads”, which he hopes to incorporate in his own game this season. Improving his processing and reducing his turnovers would be major steps for Ivey this season.
Schroder did play a role that could be very similar to Ivey this season. While Schroder did often run the show as a point guard with bench lineups, he also often played alongside Cade Cunningham and frequently had more of an off-ball role in those situations. Blending on-ball and off-ball brilliance is crucial for a non-star guard, and something that Ivey will be asked to do plenty this season.
Marcus Sasser also took Schroder’s play and lessons to heart. Sasser talked about the similarities between himself and Schroder, both in physique and playstyle. Sasser - already a strong isolation scorer in bursts - acknowledged his need for improvement on defense and playmaking, and pointed to Schroder as a great role model in those areas. For Sasser to thrive as a proper point guard on the Pistons and stay in the league as long as Schroder has, he will need to mold his game after guys like Dennis.
Dennis Schroder only played with the Pistons for a total of 34 games between the regular season and playoffs, but he left a lasting impact. His veteran example of a backup point guard will not be lost upon the Pistons youngsters looking to fill his shoes.