The Detroit Pistons had a smart and productive trade deadline that netted them Dennis Schroder, Lindy Waters III and two second-round picks without giving anything up.
I thought Schroder was the perfect middle ground between taking a salary dump of some guy who can’t play and swinging big for star (not that there was a realistic option) that would disrupt the roster and chemistry they are building.
Trajan Langdon never expected to find himself in this position, so did his best to help the team he has now without altering his vision for the future.
Schroder made his debut against the Hornets yesterday and it was about what you would expect, as he played just 15 minutes as he tried to get acclimated to his new teammates and system.
Schroder has been on enough teams at this point that it won’t take him to adjust and start getting more minutes.
He scored five points and added three assists, with one 3-point make and two free throws. The 3-pointer was actually a big one, as the Hornets had cut the lead down to single digits in the 4th quarter and the Pistons needed a bucket to stop the onslaught.
They got back-to-back shots from Cade Cunningham and Schroder, who showed one of the things he brings to this team. He’s not afraid to take a big shot, and he’s a very good free-throw shooter who can help ice games.
But that wasn’t my main takeaway from Dennis Schroder’s debut.
Dennis Schroder: The Detroit Pistons have a real point guard for the second unit
Marcus Sasser caught a DNP last night and it won’t be the last, as Schroder’s addition pushes him out of the rotation.
I do feel bad for Sasser, who has been pretty good this year when called upon but has had inconsistent minutes and a role that is not suited to him, as he’s more of a scorer than a guy who can create for others.
Schroder can do both, and his presence was instantly noticeable with the bench unit last night. The half-court offense just looked calmer and more organized than it has over recent weeks with Jaden Ivey out.
The Pistons’ bench has been living on the fringes offensively, relying on points created off turnovers and playing a chaotic style with most of their best shots coming off loose balls, run outs or broken plays that ended up in Malik Beasley’s hands somehow.
Effort and energy points are great, but they aren’t always there when the game slows down and the Pistons’ bench needed a point guard who can run the show and get those players better shots.
He did that upon entering the game, as Schroder was directing traffic and immediately picked up two assists on 3-point shots.
My guess and hope is that Schroder thrives in this role and makes things easier for guys like Beasley, Fontecchio and Ron Holland II.
We didn’t get to see much of Schroder in his debut, but I liked what I saw and have hopes it will translate into better second-unit offense as he gets more comfortable.