The Lakers’ splashiest backcourt acquisition isn’t the shiest.
Dennis Schröder, who many NBA observers pegged as the league’s top sixth man last season, wants to be a starter alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis this season.
“I did this off the bench stuff already in two years with [Oklahoma City],” Schröder said. “I think I try to move forward and I think with AD and LeBron I can be helpful as a starter in the point guard position.”
Schröder started only 16 games in two seasons with the Thunder after graduating into a role as the Hawks’ starting point guard in his final two seasons in Atlanta.
The Lakers functioned nearly all of last season without a traditional starting point guard with James taking on that responsibility while leading the Lakers to an NBA title. He also, for the first time in his career, led the NBA with 10.2 assists per game.
By acquiring Schröder, 27, in a trade that cost them guard Danny Green and the draft rights to Jaden McDaniels, Lakers’ first-round pick, the team brought in a capable playmaker and scorer who could ease some of the point guard burden placed on James, allowing him to spend more time playing off the ball — and in essence, allowing him to conserve more energy.
“I think that’s the reason why they brought me in,” Schröder said.
If Schröder does istart, it puts him alongside James and Davis as the no-brainers for Frank Vogel’s starting five. One likely potential starting five would add newly signed Marc Gasol as the starting center — keeping Davis at his preferred power forward spot — and having either Kentavious Caldwell-Pope or Wesley Matthews as the other starting wing.