There’s no doubting that the Golden State Warriors have beaten up on a handful of teams recently. Tuesday’s 130-92 dismantling of the Dallas Mavericks and the 138-piece that the club put on the Chicago Bulls on January 14 immediately come to mind.
On the whole, though, the Warriors have endured some major offensive struggles alongside those of their star player, Stephen Curry.
Since December 28, Golden State has scored just 107.9 points per 100 possessions, a mark that ranks 25th league-wide over that span. Meanwhile, the team’s true shooting percentage of 56.0 during that stretch is just 19th overall.
Consequently, what was once arguably the NBA‘s top offense has the 11th-best O-rating as of this writing at 110.9.
Given the recent shortfall, some have wondered whether the club might benefit from acquiring another shot creator to help shoulder the load when Curry is slumping and/or while Klay Thompson is still finding his feet. For his part, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley just floated the idea of making a deadline trade for a legitimate super-sub.
B/R: Dennis Schroder ‘Might Be the Best-Case Solution’
In his latest piece on the Warriors’ trade deadline options, Buckley identified Boston Celtics guard Dennis Schroder as a player who could help reverse the team’s fortunes offensively. And there’s definitely some logic at play there.
After seemingly miscalculating the free-agent market last summer and, ultimately, agreeing to a shocking, bargain-basement deal to join the Beantowners, Schroder has undoubtedly recouped some of his value with the Cs this season. Through 42 appearances, the 28-year-old has averaged 15.4 points, 4.6 assists and 3.5 rebounds.
Moreover, his shooting numbers are up across the board, improving to 44.1% overall, 35.7% from deep and 85.3% from the charity stripe.
As noted by Buckley, the season he’s currently having compares favorably to that of Warriors wing Jordan Poole, who has been lauded for his efforts:
For reference, his numbers aren’t dissimilar to Jordan Poole’s (16.7 points and 3.3 assists), only Schroder shoots better percentages and commits fewer turnovers.
Schroder may indeed be “the best-case solution” (as Buckley put it) to what’s ailing the Warriors offensively.
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Celtics Could Be Motivated to Move Schroder Ahead of the Deadline
While there’s no doubting that Schroder has been one of the Celtics’ better players and a bright spot during what has been a middle-of-the-road campaign, team president Brad Stevens would be wise to consider trading him in the coming days.
Schroder’s one-year, $5.9 million deal is up at the end of the season and it’s almost certain that he’s going to command a much bigger salary over the summer. That number is probably going to hit a point where Boston would be unwise to renew the pact, given the team’s cap situation.
So, if the Celtics want to get some kind of long-term return on their investment in Schroder, it’s going to have to come at the trade deadline. Otherwise, he likely walks for nothing.
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