What do the Hawks have in Dennis Schröder?

The Atlanta Hawks have said good bye to old friends and hello to new faces in a busy offseason. The starting point guard is new, but is a a familiar face. Will a new role bring Denis Schröder and the Hawks to new places?

A little over a year ago, then-backup point guard Denis Schröder told German magazine Bild that

"“My goal is to start as point guard. If that doesn’t happen, I will look for other opportunities.”"

He search was over before it began however, as the Hawks made the decision for him. Back court mate Jeff Teague was sent to Indiana and the offense is now Schroder’s. While Teague is unarguably a proven starter in the association, the Hawks needed more punch to get where they want to go. They hope they found it in their fiery 23 year old German.

Nov 17, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dennis Schroder (17) shoots the ball during the fourth quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. The Nets won 90-88. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /

Schröder brings several new facets to the Hawks attack. From a physical standpoint, he is younger and quicker than anyone else in the starting line up. That speed and youthful bounce can add to an already quick offense. When it comes to his intangibles, “The Menace” has a mean competitive streak. With an aggressive game he always believes he’s the best player on the floor. Anyone who’s watched a Hawks game post-Josh Smith knows the team has severely lacked that edge.

However, hyperbole doesn’t win games, numbers do. Schroder just might have both on his side. Last season featured much more of the guard than his first two seasons, averaging around 20 minutes a game. With more minutes came more contributions, as Schröder averaged 11 points, 4.4 assists, and 0.9 steals per game. One can imagine how those numbers will improve with him as a starter. A glimpse into the future can be seen in his per-36 stats: 19.6 points, 7.8 dimes, and 1.6 steals per contest. I’d buy that guy’s jersey. While those stats would be sensational, per-36 stats do tend to be over-optimistic.

Apr 22, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer talks with guard Dennis Schroder (17) during a break in the action against the Boston Celtics during the third quarter in game three of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /

Pundits and opinionated fans (myself included) have deemed Atlanta’s show of faith as a risk. While his youth can be listed as an advantage, his inexperience is a disadvantage, too. The guard is entering his fourth year in the league, although his first season was basically a red-shirt year. His aggressiveness is also a double-sided coin, which is evident in his 2.3 turnovers per game. One more concern is his sub-par 32% three point shooting. With a team built on peremiter shooting, that is a flaw that can’t go uncorrected.. The hope is that the coach Mike Budenholzer can get Dennis to reach his potential but avoid his erratic tendencies.

In several fourth quarters and critical situations, Coach Bud put his trust in Schröder rather than his starting point guard. The trust in his new starter is evident. Budenholzer also got All-Star play out of Teague, so you can only imagine what he’ll do with this blank canvas. Schroder and his coach also get more help with the arrival of All-Star center Dwight Howard. Having that large body in the paint is only going to help give Schröder room to drive, shoot and limit turnovers. The other big, All-Defensive team member Paul Millsap, will team up with Howard to lock down the paint. This will give the German plenty of leeway to gamble for steals. With a good support system and the drive to be great, those gaudy stat projections might just be attainable.

And that will be a menace for the rest of the league.

All stats obtained from Basketball Reference