Atlanta Hawks: Was Mike Budenholzer Right To Bench Dennis Schroder?

Mike Budenholzer benched Dennis Schroder in the third quarter of the Atlanta Hawks’ loss to the Golden State Warriors. Did he make the right decision?

The soap opera that is the 2016-17 Atlanta Hawks continues. Most of the drama this season has come from the wild inconsistency of their play on the court. Monday night’s loss to the Golden State Warriors brought a mix of on court and off court drama.

Atlanta had one-point lead early in the third quarter of their aforementioned contest against the Warriors. An argument between Dennis Schroder and Dwight Howard, in the middle of game action, led to a wide open three-pointer from Warriors superstar Stephen Curry.

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Naturally, Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer was angered by the defensive lapse. He removed Schroder from the game and kept him on the sidelines for the remainder of the game. All of this came after Schroder’s 23 first half points helped Atlanta build a five point lead against the best team in the league.

This isn’t Schroder’s first incident of the season. He was suspended for the first game after the All-Star break for failing to report back to the team on time. The very next day he was held out of the starting lineup after being late to the team bus. The Hawks lost both games.

Budenholzer is clearly frustrated by Schroder’s recent behavior. The benching looks like a coach trying to send a message that a player has yet to receive it (or doesn’t want to receive it).

Schroder spoke about the benching after the game. He seemed confused as to why he was benched in the first place. The following three quotes come from Chris Vivlamore’s recap in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

"“I don’t really know,” Schroder said when asked why he was benched. “I know the 3 from Steph Curry when me and Dwight was arguing was part of it. That can’t happen. I don’t understand coach’s decision. I want to be on the court. Maybe I’m too competitive. I’m just trying to be competitive and win games.”"

Budenholzer spoke very little about the incident. Instead choosing to say that the team needs to come together and move past it.

"“Just us staying together is the bigger point,” Budenholzer said of his decision. “We’ve got to stay together and find a way to move on to the next play. Those things are important.”"

Dwight Howard also commented on the play in question.

"“Listen, we are a team right?” Howard said. “It’s OK if we have conversations. It’s not always conflict when you have a conversation with your coach or a team meeting. That’s what you are supposed to do. By him wanting to have a meeting, it’s great. It’s great for our team. It’s great for each other. We’re all open to it. It’s not always bad when you have a conversation."

The theme that runs throughout these quotes is that communication is key. Players need to communicate with each other. Players need to communicate with coaches. Coaches need to communicate with players. For whatever reason, everyone is not on the same page. Conversations are fine. Arguments on the court are a problem.

I completely understand Budenholzer’s decision to bench Schroder, even if I don’t necessarily agree with it. He’s running an entire organization. Budenholzer is essentially “the boss”. Sometimes that means handing out discipline. If you perform poorly or act out at work you’re likely going to be punished. The same thing is true in the NBA.

Schroder acted out. He showed up his teammate and his coach in the middle of a live game. The result of his behavior was wide open three-pointer from the best three-point shooter of all-time. That can’t happen, especially from a player in his fourth year in the NBA. That type of play would be inexcusable for a rookie, let alone a player that serves such a vital role on a playoff team.

That being said, Budenholzer may have gone a bit too far. Benching Schroder for the rest of the game was extreme. After three quarters the Hawks trailed by just four points. They were staying competitive with the best team in the NBA. A big reason why the game was so close was Schroder’s offensive explosion in the first half.

Dennis Schroder undoutedly makes the Hawks better, especially on offense. Without him directing things their already sputtering offense screeches to a halt. Malcolm Delaney has had his moments and Kent Bazemore can be a playmaker for short stretches, but this is a team that needs it’s starting point guard to operate at the highest level. Taking Schroder out didn’t cost the Hawks the game, but it didn’t do them any favors.

Perhaps this is the wake-up call that Schroder needs. His benching could be the moment that galvanizes the team and gets everyone on the same page. An airing of grievances can be a healthy process. Or, this could linger as a distraction. It could create fractures within the locker room and cause players to take sides.

Schroder is a good player that is having a breakout season. Hopefully he will learn from the bumps in the road and continue on his path to become an All-Star caliber player. Hopefully his relationship with Budenholzer improves as they work through their differences.

Relationships evolve over time. Sometimes trust has to be earned. Sometimes trust is lost and then regained. Schroder and Budenholzer will work through this at their own pace. Sooner would be better than later, though.

The Hawks don’t have time to dwell on this. They have a game to play Wednesday night against the Brooklyn Nets. They have a chance to snap their three game losing streak against a weak opponent before welcoming the Toronto Raptors to Atlanta on Friday.

Next: Schroder Benched In Loss To Warriors

A loss to the Golden State Warriors isn’t the end of the world. Unless it causes a chain reaction that torpedoes the rest of Atlanta’s season. I’d bet against that being the case, but stranger things have happened.

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