Dennis Schroder

Schroder played an important role for Oklahoma City's second unit in his first season with the team in 2018-19. The former Atlanta Hawk averaged 15.5 points, 4.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.6 threes in 29.3 minutes and finished the season as a serviceable fantasy option because of his multi-category contributions. The Thunder made significant changes to the roster this offseason, trading Russell Westbrook and Paul George, and the team looks to be in full rebuild mode. Oklahoma City acquired Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who are essentially locks to be the starters in the backcourt, leaving Schroder likely to fill a similar sixth-man role as he had last season. Heavy minutes can be expected, and with a limited array of playmakers on the roster, an increase in usage and scoring isn't an unreasonable expectation. Schroder is a solid pickup in the later rounds of standard drafts.

After Schroder expressed his disinterest in being a part of a rebuilding effort, the Hawks began shopping him, eventually finding a suitor in Oklahoma City. Schroder was the focal point of the Atlanta’s offense last season, leading the team in scoring (19.4 PPG) and dishing 6.2 assists across 31.0 minutes per game. He struggled with efficiency, shooting just 43.6 percent from the field and 29.0 percent from distance. However, that could be chalked up to his overall workload, as he saw the highest usage rate of his career (30.4 percent) and shot a combined 33.6 percent from three over the previous three campaigns when he wasn't relied upon as heavily. If that’s the case, we might see Schroder improve his shooting during his first year on a new team, as he'll presumably come off the bench and see sixth-man minutes behind starter Russell Westbrook. Still, Schroder’s overall production will undoubtedly decline. In the 22 instances he saw between 20 and 29 minutes last season, the point guard averaged 16.2 points and 4.5 assists, possibly indicative of the kind of numbers we'll see from him in 2018-19.

After earning the organization's trust over the first three years of his rookie deal, Schroder finally got his opportunity to take over as the Hawks' starting point guard, as Jeff Teague was traded to the Pacers prior to the 2016-17 season. Schroder certainly didn't disappoint, becoming the Hawks second option offensively behind superstar Paul Millsap, averaging 17.9 points across 79 games. That marked a new career high and was drastically up from the 11.0 he averaged a year prior in a reserve capacity. He also posted career numbers with 3.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.3 three-pointers over 31.5 minutes, though the increased production wasn't a huge surprise considering the move to a full starter's workload. Still, Schroder was comfortable as both a scorer and a distributor and was also solid from deep, shooting 34 percent from the three-point line. Looking forward to the 2017-18 campaign, Schroder has a much bigger task ahead of him. The Hawks lost three of their top four scorers (with Schroder being the fourth), as Millsap, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dwight Howard are now sporting different uniforms. The Hawks also didn't do much in free agency to alleviate the offensive drop-off, meaning Schroder is likely going to have to carry the load. Schroder's scoring average has the chance to see a decent increase once again, as he'll be looking for his shot even more now that he's the top returning offensive threat. That said, with a serious drop in talent around him, Schroder's assists could take a slight dip if guys aren't hitting shots. Schroder's going to get as many minutes as he can handle and will be entering the first year of a four-year, $70 million contract, meaning he's now the unquestioned leader of the rebuilding Hawks and should be on the rise as a Fantasy player.

During his third NBA season, Schroder once again slotted in on the Hawks' second unit behind Jeff Teague and proved to be one of the more accomplished backup point guards in the league. While the Hawks would have loved to hand Schroder more than the 20.3 minutes per game he received, his lack of success playing off the ball alongside Teague limited the flexibility of coach Mike Budenholzer's rotation. Fortunately for Schroder, it appears the Hawks are now ready to commit to him in a full-time starting role, as Teague was dealt to the Pacers in June as part of a three-team trade. Veteran Jarrett Jack was signed in the offseason to provide some stability behind Schroder in the event he endures some growing pains in the transition to starting duties, but there's little reason to believe the 23-year-old won't rise to the occasion. Per 36 minutes last season, Schroder turned in averages of 19.5 points, 7.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.7 three-pointers and 1.6 steals, numbers that would put him in the upper tier of fantasy point guards. He probably can't count on quite that much playing time night in and night out, but Schroder could nonetheless be in line for a significant upgrade in fantasy value that's perhaps comparable with the prominence Reggie Jackson gained after his move from the Thunder to the Pistons in February 2015. In order for the German-born point guard to take his game to greater heights, however, he'll need to show a more reliable jumper, but even with that shortcoming, his ceiling remains quite high. If he thrives to the extent the Hawks believe he can, Schroder, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract, could be looking at a huge payday next summer.

In his sophomore season, Schroder posted 10.0 points on 8.6 field goal attempts, 2.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.1 blocks in 20 minutes per game through 77 regular season games. Schroder shot 43 percent from the field, 35 percent from deep, and 83 percent from the free-throw line, improving his form and gaining confidence as the season went on. However, during 16 postseason games, his averages slipped to 9.0 points on 9.1 field goal attempts, 1.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 0.6 steals in 18 minutes per game on 39 percent from the field, 24 percent from beyond the arc, and 86 percent from the charity stripe. The "German Rondo" turns 22 in September, and he has been training with the German National Team this summer in preparation for EuroBasket. If Jeff Teague were to get hurt at any point, Schroder showed in 2014-15 that he's capable of getting it done, with averages of 14.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 7.7 assists, and 0.7 steals in 29 minutes per game during 10 games as a starter. Schroder is under team control through 2016-17.

The 17th-overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, German point guard Dennis Schroeder has shown flashes of real talent in his NBA career to date, but he's still just 20 years old and very much a project at this point. In a perfect world for ex-Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer, Schroeder would develop into a Tony Parker-style drive-and-dish point guard, who's best off breaking down opposing defenses with his dribble and quickness and setting up teammates for easy baskets. While he's shown flashes of that potential, especially in summer league play, Schroeder has been far too turnover-prone to this point. He averaged 3.4 turnovers per 36 minutes as a rookie and an ugly 4.5 turnovers through six games in Vegas this summer. Right now, it seems Schroeder will spend much of the season as Atlanta's third point guard, well behind starter Jeff Teague and backup Shelvin Mack on the depth chart.

Schroder is a wild card, a true sleeper entering 2013. He may continue his brilliant play from the Las Vegas Summer League and parlay that into considerable playing time, or he may fizzle under the pressure of playing in the NBA at 20. If any of his highlights from the offseason are any indication, Hawks fans could be in for a treat. Small, but electric, Schroder is a penetrator and more of a playmaker than incumbent Jeff Teague, who is a natural scorer. The injury to Louis Williams may be just the opportunity the rookie needs to make an impact early. If he does, do not expect him to be relegated to the bench once Williams returns.