The Golden State Warriors made headlines when they acquired German guard Dennis Schroder from the Brooklyn Nets in a midseason trade. In exchange, the Warriors sent De’Anthony Melton—sidelined for the year with an ACL injury—and two second-round draft picks to Brooklyn. However, Schroder’s start with his new team has been underwhelming, drawing comments from head coach Steve Kerr.
Schroder, who had been a key player for the Nets under coach Jordi Fernández, led the league in mid-range shooting percentage at 60.5%. But with the Warriors, he’s struggled to find his rhythm.
In his first five games with Golden State, Schroder has averaged just 8.2 points and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 28% from the field and a dismal 17.4% from beyond the arc—a stark contrast to his numbers with the Nets, where he posted 18.4 points and 6.6 assists per game, including a career-high 2.5 made threes per game.
Following a loss to the Clippers, Kerr addressed Schroder’s adjustment period. “It’s always difficult to join a new team midseason and not have a full understanding of your teammates and the system,” Kerr said. “He’s essentially still in training camp with us.”
Dennis Schroder 71 of the Golden State Warriors passes the ball during their regular season NBA game against the Los Angeles Clippers. (IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire)
Kerr expressed confidence in Schroder’s ability to turn things around.
“It’s just going to take some time,” he added. “But you trust in the player he’s been for 10 or 12 years. It’s a tiny sample size we’re working with right now, and he’ll get comfortable and settle in.”
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Schroder opens up about fitting into Golden State’s system
In an interview with Marc Spears of Andscape, Schroder admitted that adjusting to the Warriors’ style has been challenging, especially given the team’s established stars.
“When you have two Hall of Famers, you don’t want to take anything away from them,” Schroder explained. “You just have to fit in. They want me to fit in, of course, but I’ve got to play my style as well. Combining that is something we’ll keep working on. But at the same time, we need to get wins.”
Schroder compared his current situation to his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he shared the court with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. “I had it in L.A., same thing,” he said. “You play, but you know LeBron James is on that court. Same here with Steph Curry, one of the best players ever. Draymond, too. It’s a different presence. But I still have to play my game.”
Curry and Green encourage Schroder
As the team’s leaders, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green have publicly backed Schroder, urging him to play with the same aggression he displayed in Brooklyn.
“He has to know that we have confidence and belief in him,” Green told Andscape. “It’s tough, especially when you’re joining a team like this. With Steph Curry, naturally, you might step back. But what we want Dennis to do is push forward.”
Curry echoed Green’s sentiments, emphasizing Schroder’s importance to the team. “We want him to be as aggressive as he was in Brooklyn,” Curry said. “That’s what’s going to help us even more. And I know he knows that. I’m excited to see him get more comfortable and better each game.”
