Warriors counting on Schroder to take pressure off Curry
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Dennis Schroder's young son Dennis Jr. quickly lightened the mood and the shock of another NBA trade for his well-traveled father.
The delighted boy found out they were going to Golden State, and he already has a No. 30 Stephen Curry jersey.
“He was like, ‘Oh, we're lucky, now it’s a good team at least,’” Schroder recalled with a smile of the 5-year-old's reaction. “That was the first thing and I had to laugh and I was in a bad mood. He's of course a Steph Curry fan. ... He watches every game, all he does is basketball and he's going to be thrilled to see him. Even yesterday when I came in, he was like ‘Was Steph Curry there?’ I was like ‘you’re not going to ask me how I'm doing?'”
Schroder is all for watching Curry deliver the big-time scoring performances, because the veteran guard takes great pride in being just as reliable on the defensive end.
He has played alongside so many great stars in recent years, and now will add Curry and Draymond Green to that list — certain to take pressure off them both.
“I can't wait for Thursday to get after it with these guys,” Schroder said when formally introduced Tuesday at Chase Center following his first practice with the Warriors — his eighth NBA team. “I think it will be pretty special.”
Schroder will practice with the team again Wednesday before traveling to Memphis to make his Golden State debut Thursday night against the Grizzlies. He chose jersey No. 71, a new take on his former 17 — the favorite number of his late father, Axel.
“I’ve got to stick with it, I’ll just reverse them,” said Schroder, acquired in a trade with Brooklyn during the weekend.
While coach Steve Kerr would like to start Schroder with Curry, he will “definitely play all the non-Steph minutes.”
The 31-year-old Schroder averaged 18 points against the Warriors — “Not a surprise, I’ve had enough of him,” said Kerr, who is looking forward to having Schroder as a two-way player who can help the team improve at closing games by keeping things organized.
“I like feisty," said Kerr, eager for Schroder to take some pressure off Curry. "Dennis, he’s a gamer, he’s a competitor, I like guys like that.”
And general manager Mike Dunleavy is hopeful this will be a union that goes well beyond this season.
For now, the Warriors are counting on a scoring boost and complementary guard alongside Curry. Schroder is averaging 18.4 points and 6.6 assists this season.
“It’s no secret we need to improve offensively and sometimes making some shifts in what you’re doing and philosophically is the right way to go about things,” Dunleavy said. “So we’ll see how that unfolds. ... In order to play to his strengths, we may have to shift some things.”
This team is determined to capture another championship before Curry and Green are gone. Curry turns 37 in March and is in his 16th season, while Green will be 35 in March.
The idea of defending alongside Green is exciting for Schroder.
“Really looking forward to playing with another Hall of Famer on the court who was always hell when he was on the other side, who was talking smack, trash, being competitive," Schroder said.
Green insists Golden State must adapt to Schroder to help him find his way on a new roster.
“I don’t think he was necessarily brought here to fit, “Green said. “We play a certain style of basketball that he does not really play. And I don’t think the goal is to get him to play the style of basketball that we play. We need someone that can do the things that he does. So I’m looking forward to us adjusting to him.”
The Warriors sent injured guard De’Anthony Melton and guard Reece Beekman to the Nets. Melton is out for the remainder of the season while recovering from surgery to repair his left ACL.
In addition, Golden State receives a second-round draft pick next year (a top-37-protected pick that originally belonged to Miami) and Brooklyn gets three second-rounders — in 2026 and 2028 (both via Atlanta) and Golden State’s pick in 2029.
Dunleavy keeps Curry and Green updated on potential moves when appropriate.
“To be clear, those guys are not banging down my door, calling me: “Hey, we’ve got to make a trade. We need this guy. We need that guy.” They never do that," Dunleavy said. “Do I keep them in the loop? Yes. Were they double thumbs up on this move? Yes.”
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