Former Atlanta Hawks guard Dennis Schroder has helped spark Celtics
The Atlanta Hawks have seemingly found their beat this season. As winners of back-to-back games for just the second time this season after a four-game skid on the road, they have found success in playing faster out of the gates. Especially since they’ve returned home to State Farm Arena where they are 5-1 this season.
In the two games since De’Andre Hunter went down, the Hawks have scored 120-plus points in consecutive games.
They host the Boston Celtics, winners of five of their last seven, on Wednesday.
The Celtics shook off a poor 2-5 start to find themselves at .500 on the still very young season in a run the coincided with the insertion of former Hawks point guard Dennis Schroder into the starting lineup.
Former Atlanta Hawks point guard Dennis Schroder has helped spark a Celtics turnaround
There are plenty of jokes that have been made at Schroder’s expense, many of which he has certainly owned. His failed pursuit of a $100 million deal led to him turning down one worth $84 million from the Los Angeles Lakers. And, eventually, an Instagram post giving everyone permission to get their best jokes off.
Schroder is playing on a deal worth less than $6 million this season.
However, he is making the most of his chance at redemption as the Celtics have won three of their last five games since Schroder was inserted into the starting lineup in place of the injured Jaylen Brown.
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Averaging 17.1 points (on 43 percent shooting), 5.2 assists, and 4.0 rebounds on the season, Schroder had averaged 24 points on 51.1 percent shooting over the last five games.
The Hawks traded Schroder ahead of the 2018-19 season despite signing him to a sizeable extension just two seasons prior. Per the mercurial point guard, he requested the move as the organization was heading towards a rebuild. He averaged 12.9 points, 4.8 assists, and 2.5 boards in five seasons in Atlanta.
After a year with a surprising Oklahoma City Thunder playoff team, he went to L.A. with bigger dreams.
Now, he returns (again) to face a Hawks team led by his eventual replacement, Trae Young, who is on a tear of his own going back to even before the Hawks won back-to-back games. It’s sure to be a great matchup.
Schroder has averaged 18.4 points, 5.8 assists, and 3.8 rebounds in five career games against his former team with two starts.
Next. The Hawks need more consistency from their starting wings. dark
We can poke fun at Schroder’s decision to pass on the lucrative offer from the Lakers. But the truth is he has helped the Celtics get back on track right in time for another visit to the place where it all started.