Schroder looks to build off his success vs. ATL
Dennis Schroder’s 3-point shooting Thursday night will likely be an outlier, but so much of his performance must now be a blueprint for the Nets.
He delivered his best game as a Net during the team’s 124-97 drubbing of the Hawks at Barclays Center, dictating what allowed the Nets to, at least for one night, reverse what had been plaguing their offense under interim coach Kevin Ollie. Schroder, playing in his eighth game with the Nets after they acquired him along with Thaddeus Young from the Raptors in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie, recorded 23 points and eight rebounds — both personal highs since arriving in Brooklyn — along with seven assists on a scorching 9-for-15 shooting from the field and 5 of 7 from 3-point range.
It was the second consecutive game Schroder, 30, started after coming off the bench the first two games of Ollie’s tenure.
“[He’s] coming in early, leaving late, getting his work in in the gym, and just keeps digging and planting seeds,” Ollie said after Schroder’s breakout performance. “And that’s what you gotta do, sometimes you don’t know when they’re gonna blossom, but you gotta plant seeds, and I think he’s been doing that with his extra shooting.”
Though Schroder’s shooting was a welcomed development, it’s hard to expect that, in his 11th season in the NBA, it will be sustainable. But Schroder’s passing and ball security certainly can be, and if the Nets are to sneak into the final play-in spot, they need to be.
Both were areas the Nets had struggled mightily in under Ollie and reached a low point during the team’s 108-81 blowout loss to the Magic, when they recorded a season-high 20 turnovers and 18 total team assists, tied for a season low.
The Nets committed just nine turnovers and recorded 30 assists Thursday night. They scored 20 points off Schroder’s assists, and he committed only two turnovers.
Ben Simmons, when healthy, would carry much of those responsibilities along with Schroder as a primary ball handler, but his continued lack of availability makes him unreliable, to put it lightly.
“We always want to have quality shots — good to great, we always say,” Schroder said after the game. “We had a couple of those tonight. When we do that, when we move the ball and the ball is not sticking, it’s really hard to guard us. We just gotta keep playing fast.”
By playing fast and moving the ball quickly on offense, the Nets created ample open looks from behind the arc that were largely missing in recent games. It was the clear difference in Thursday’s clash as the Nets shot a redhot 22-for-46 (47.8 percent) from 3-point range, while the Hawks shot just 8-for-28 (28.6 percent) from distance.
Previously, the ball often stagnated as Mikal Bridges looked to create his own shot through double-teams. But Ollie praised Bridges’ willingness to quickly give up the ball once he was doubled Thursday night, which allowed Schroder to act more as a facilitator and find open shooters.
Ollie has been asking for just that on the offensive end, and the Nets delivered.
Perhaps his message is finally getting through.
“It was a great job from everybody,” Schroder said. “Just moving the ball, making shots, being confident and trusting one another. … Coach [is] doing a great job just giving people confidence. He understands the game. … Then my teammates make it easy as well.”
Thursday’s win brought the Nets to three games back of the Hawks for the No. 10 seed in the East and final play-in spot before the two teams play again in a Saturday matinee in Brooklyn.
The Hawks will assuredly make adjustments, and will likely hone in on how Schroder orchestrated the offense.
The next challenge for Schroder is to make Thursday’s showing the Nets’ new normal, not an exception.
“We’re talented, but at the end of the day, we have to use our connectivity for our talent, as well,” Ollie said. “We don‘t want energy dips. Energy dips come when we lose a lead or we’re not moving without the basketball, the ball is not moving. We need to share the cake.”