Schröder’s hunger for success is clear on the court. As Hawks forward Kyle Korver observed, “You can just tell he wants it. You can tell he wants to be elite. He doesn’t just want to make it in the NBA. He wants to be a star.”
As is the case, Schröder certainly has the right coaching staff to help him reach his potential.
The Coach’s Effect
In 2001, the San Antonio Spurs drafted a little-known teenager out of France in the first round. Twelve years later, Tony Parker has arguably become the best point guard in the league. Budenholzer, the longtime trusted assistant for Gregg Popovich in San Antonio, has largely been credited for preparing Parker for the NBA.
Now, as Budenholzer takes on his new role as coach of the Hawks, he brings Parker’s blueprint for success to Atlanta to share with Schröder.
“When I first got here, coach talked to me and told me he was going to work with me like he did with Tony Parker,” Schröder shared. “I think it’s a great opportunity for me to get better. Coach has had a lot of success in the past.”
Having Quin Snyder as an assistant on the staff also figures to be huge for Schröder’s development.
Snyder’s background as a top assistant for Duke in the 1990s and as Missouri’s coach in the early 2000s has made him one of the most respected developers of talent in the world. More recently, Snyder served as a developer for Doug Collins with the 76ers and helped turn Holiday into an All Star.
For Schröder’s sake, Snyder’s biggest strength may be his experience with the European game. Snyder worked as an assistant for CSKA Moscow last season and is using the knowledge he gained from his time in Europe to relate to Schröder.
“I talk with Quin every day,” Schröder said. “He’s the coach I’ve talked with the most and we’ve gotten very close. He’s teaching me things that he learned from his point guard over in Moscow. I’m really lucky to have him.”
Budenholzer and Snyder’s initial assessment for Schröder was that he needed to put on weight to be able to handle the NBA’s physical demands. Schröder was put on a strength-training regimen last month and has gained eight pounds over the last four weeks.
While the strength training may have originally been implemented to help on defense, Schröder might actually see a bigger payoff on the offensive end.
Schröder finished only 51.1 percent of his shots at the rim last season, per Synergy Sports. Based on highlight tapes, many of those misses were a result of a weak drives or altered shots in the air. With more upper-body muscle, expect Schröder to have more confidence and control in the air upon attack.
So, knowing that all of the pieces are in place for Schröder to thrive, what can we realistically expect from the 20-year-old?
By and large, the translation for point guards coming from Europe to the NBA has been successful. Seven teams finished last season with a European-bred starting point guard. Of the recent first-rounders from Europe chosen as teams’ future starting point guards, only Rodrigue Beaubois has earned the “bust” label. For whatever reason, European point guards are viewed as equally mysterious to European big men, despite having a much longer track record for success.
Schröder’s easiest comparison from Europe will be with Brandon Jennings. Both prefer up-tempo speeds and were limited to slower half-court styles overseas.
Jennings, who played with Virtus Roma of the Italian League in 2008-2009, averaged 5.5 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 17 minutes per game. He was used primarily as the team’s perimeter defensive stopper. The Italian League was ranked as the second-best European League that season.
For Schröder, the stats look more impressive. He finished with 11.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 24.7 minutes. Granted, Schröder played in the Bundesliga – the seventh best European league. But the competition was more legitimate than in the NCAA. In head-to-head matchups with former college stars Tyrese Rice and Jared Jordan, Schröder shined on both ends of the floor.
For those skeptical of how successfully a player can transition from Europe’s seventh-best league to the NBA, just look at the Suns’ P.J. Tucker as a primary example. Tucker averaged 16 points per game for Brose Basket Bamberg in 2011-2012. Less than 12 months later, he was starting for Phoenix as the team’s primary defensive stopper:
Still, it’s not fair to take Schröder’s German stats and expect a perfectly clean translation. Luckily, we have Schroder’s body of work from the Las Vegas Summer League to analyze as well.
Schröder had 28 assists in five Summer League games, good for 5.6 per game. While nearly six assists per game are very impressive for a 19-year-old, Schröder actually outplayed those numbers considerably.
In the five games, Schröder dished out four passes that led directly to fouls on what would’ve otherwise been considered as easy layups. Factor in an additional 18 passes over the five-game stretch in which his teammates either missed uncontested jump shots in their hot zones or missed moderately defended layups at the rim, and it is clear Schroder’s assists totals, in even the most conservative of estimates, should have been closer to eight per game.
As impressive as his passing was, Schröder turned the most heads over the summer with his defense.
Korver, who prefaced his assessment of Schroder by saying he didn’t want to get ahead of himself by hyping up the prospect, proceeded to rave anyway.
“The thing I’m most impressed with him is that he doesn’t ever seem to get screened,” Korver shared. “He always slips around the screen. Always. He’s just got a knack for that. That’s something you can’t teach in the weight room or on the court. He’s got the ability to be a great defender.”
In the NBA, where nearly every offense utilizes the pick-and-roll to close out tight games, Schröder’s ability to avoid screens could prove to be an X-factor for the Hawks. Also, with a long 6-7 wingspan and a great knack for jumping passing lanes, Schröder’s light frame is less of a concern than for a typical 6-2, 175-pound point guard.
Schröder’s defense is meticulously scientific. When applying pressure in the full court, it is clear that he is more concerned with frustrating opponents than he is with gambling for steals. When he reaches for the ball, he does so with quick pokes and jabs rather than with lofty swipes across the opponent’s body. Over the duration of a game, Schröder visibly rattles his opponents with great consistency:
While Schröder struggled with foul trouble in the Summer League (averaging just under five fouls a game), it’s safe to assume those troubles were a product of the league’s 10-foul limit. After all, Schröder’s 1.9 fouls per game in Germany last season prove that he can defend without fouling.
“His defense is amazing,” said Brand. “When he picks up full court, it’s crazy.”
Journeyman point guard Shelvin Mack added, “He just makes everything so difficult for his opponent. It’s fun to watch as a teammate.”
Clearly, lots of aspects within Schröder’s game are going to be fun to watch. His coaches and teammates have understandably high expectations and are looking forward to seeing what he can accomplish as a 20-year-old.
Ivey’s excitement captured the mood around media day best.
“He was a diamond in the rough of this year’s draft,” Ivey said. “Not that many people know about him now, but they will soon enough. The sky’s the limit for a kid with a work ethic like him. Watch out for my boy Baby Rondo.”
As for “Baby Rondo” himself, being a foundational building block in Atlanta is an opportunity he has dreamed about his entire life.
“I would love to one day be the face of the Hawks,” Schroder admitted. “We have so much to look forward to.”
Jacob Eisenberg is a junior at Emory University and works as a credentialed reporter at Atlanta Hawks games. Check out his website here and be sure to follow him on twitter @eisenberg43.
last draft I said i would take Schroder #`1. Everyone laughed. I said Id take steven adams #2. And i still stand by that. Bennett cant guard anyone. Porter is mediocre. McLemore isnt as good as archie goodwin. Len might be really good….i like Len…if he stays healthy. ANd Olidipo is going to be fine. But the best of all, schroder.