The Golden State Warriors managed to secure a vital win over the Utah Jazz, perhaps more impressively it came without Steph Curry.
There has been no doubt that Dennis Schroder has struggled since his trade from the Brooklyn Nets but he had a breakout performance against the Jazz.
Schroder dropped 23 points, five rebounds, and four assists in an impressive 114-103 win.
The result does little to improve the Warriors lowly standing in the Western Conference where they remain 11th with a 23-23 record.
Curry has been the Warriors’ main star for some time now and he played a vital part in helping the team win three NBA Championships.
However, while he is still putting in some impressive performances for his side, there has been a noticeable drop-off in his overall stats.
The Warriors looked to bring in Schroder to help partner Curry to bring instant success to the team. The team are in a time crunch with their stars like Curry and Draymond Green ageing, especially after Curry spoke openly about his NBA future.
Ironically Schroder’s highest point-scoring performance for the Warriors has come without Curry in the team, something which did not go unnoticed by fans.
One said: “He plays better when Curry is not playing,” while another said: “Still adjusting playing alongside Curry.”
Another stated: “Curry held him.”
One fan suggested that Schroder’s rise was coming amid a decline in Curry’s performances saying: “He’s stepping up as Curry is stepping down.”
Other fans were just happy to see Schroder finally find his feet saying: “Amazing show for Schröder!,” while another backed up this comment by cheekily saying: “Finally had a good game.”
The Warriors have been desperate to find a partner for Curry since the exit of his former ‘splash brother’ Klay Thompson.
Thompson is shining in Dallas and stars that have been brought in to try and cover his loss have failed to reach the mark.
Kendrick Perkins explained recently how Steph Curry is one of the only stars in the NBA not to have a number two to bounce off of.
Buddy Hield is averaging his lowest points per game (11.8) since his rookie season with the New Orleans Pelicans, he has been called out by Green recently.
Schroder has also seen a huge dropoff from his numbers in Brooklyn, he is averaging just 11 points per game, falling from 18.4 with the Nets.
While Schroder’s starring display without Curry should be seen as a positive it provides wider problems.
If Curry and Schroder struggle to perform on the floor together the trade to bring in the German was a mistake.
Perhaps this is why the Warriors appear to be back in the hunt for Jimmy Butler, perhaps he can piece everything together for Golden State.
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