When the Los Angeles Lakers traded for guard Dennis Schroder shortly after the 2020 NBA Draft, they hoped they would get the explosiveness and craftiness they desired.
After 100 days in a Lakers’ uniform, it’s safe to say Schroder has been as good as advertised. Schroder has featured in 37 games this season and is the third-best scorer on the team, averaging 14.8 points per game. He’s also second in assists per game at 4.7.
Schroder’s presence with the Lakers was most felt during his four-game absence because of health-and-safety protocols when Los Angeles couldn’t muster any quality offense and fell apart as a unit on that end.
Now that he’s back, Schroder’s helped the Lakers find a rhythm on both ends of the floor, and head coach Frank Vogel has nothing but positive statements about the 27-year-old guard.
“I think it’s going great,” Vogel said after Thursday night’s win over the Hornets. “We hope he’s happy here. Our guys really like him. Our coaching staff is really enjoying coaching him. He’s got a great energy about him, great spirit, and a great competitive fire that he brings to our team on both sides of the ball. His ability to attack the paint and what he does for us defensively. He’s off to a great start as a Laker.”
Without big man Anthony Davis, the Lakers have counted on Schroder to take a larger load and Vogel is satisfied with how he’s performed during the four-game win streak.
“We saw what we did when A.D. was out and when Dennis [Schroder] was out we struggled when the two of them were out,” Vogel said. “Obviously, it’s tough to make up for the absence of Anthony Davis, but when you have a guy like Dennis Schroder that can really compete on both sides of the ball, he’s been vital since he’s come back. Since he’s come back from the health and safety protocols, I think our record is pretty good and he’s been an important piece of that.”
Schroder expresses desire to stay with Lakers for ‘long time’ amid contract negotiations
When the Lakers traded for Schroder, he had one year left in his four-year deal, so he’s set to enter free agency as an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Schroder became eligible to ink a long-term contract with the Lakers in mid-February, and he expressed his desire to remain with the franchise for the foreseeable future.
“I love this organization and want to be a part of this organization for a long time. So we really don’t have to worry about anything,” Schroder said after Thursday night’s win over the Charlotte Hornets. “At the end of the day, in eight years I didn’t feel one time where I had to sit there during the summer and just see the options.
“So we’re kind of between should we sign the extension or should we wait until the summer, because I want to be a Laker for a long time. I always say it, I just want it to be fair. Not even financially or all the other stuff, I just want it to be fair, treated the right way, my family and friends that are with me, and they’re doing it so far.”
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