Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr isn’t particularly worried or alarmed about the amount of stops that Dennis Schroder has taken already throughout the course of his career.
Speaking on Tuesday to address the veteran guard’s official trade arrival, Kerr deflected the idea of Schroder having “flags” as a basketball journeyman.
“I played on six, so I guess I had a lot of flags,” Kerr said with a smile. “The way I always looked at it was those were six teams who wanted me. Dennis has had seven who have wanted him, eight 1734484820.”
Golden State serves as the eighth destination of Schroder in his career. Since 2018, he has played for seven other NBA franchises in which he notably played for two separate stints for the Los Angeles Lakers (2020-21, 2022-23).
There has been a common belief that a player who constantly shifts through different organizations raises plenty of issues such as team commitment and continuity. But Kerr stands unmoved by this negative notion as he believes this makes Schroder even well admired for what he can bring to the table.
At age 31, Schroder is expected to bring his expertise and craftiness to a Golden State team that desperately needs another ball handler to play alongside Stephen Curry. And considering what the German star has made throughout his career — whether if it’s in the NBA or at the international stage — Kerr is fully aware and convinced that they acquired a “winner and competitor” that fits like a glove to their grand plan.
“Dennis is a gamer, he’s a competitor, I love guys like that,” Kerr argued. “I also like guys who have been through the wringer a little bit. He’s played on six or seven different teams, you have to go through the NBA to really feel it and appreciate the ups and the downs.
“Everything I’ve heard, people who have coached him, we feel great about a guy who is a winner and competitor, and at the right time for his career and our current situation.”
Perhaps the most highly anticipated scenario to look into Schroder’s arrival in Golden State has been his looming backcourt partnership with Stephen Curry.
The Dubs have mainly acquired Schroder from the Brooklyn Nets right after De’Anthony Melton suffered a season-ending ACL injury. Melton’s absence played a huge role in Golden State’s strong start as the 26-year-old harmoniously complemented Curry and the team’s system.
As the Dubs have gone 2-8 in their last 10 games after an impressive 12-3 season beginnings, they’ll look at how Schroder can be an important game changer in terms of added scoring and facilitating, averaging 18.4 points and 6.6 assists this season.
As such, Schroder himself can only look forward to sharing the court with Curry after years of being opponents.
“Every time you go on the NBA app and see Golden State plays, you get excited because just how he [Steph] plays,” Schroder said. “He plays it like a video game. Having fun, laughing. He’s one of the superstars who I got a lot of respect for because he don’t care if he scores 10, 20, 30, or 40 [points].
“I’m really excited. I can’t say it enough.”
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