It wasn't just the Sacramento Kings who has a rough start to the 2025-2026 season. Their new point guard Dennis Schroder wasn't where he needed or wanted to be. After moving from the starting five to the bench, Schroder has continued to get better and better, slowly becoming that guy.
Trying to replace De'Aaron Fox in Sacramento would be a tall order for almost any point guard. He was the face of the franchise, not to mention being one of the best in the league at what he does. Fox is proving that by winning with a Spurs team that doesn't have Victor Wembanyama on the court.
Keeping in mind that Dennis Schroder is a solid player, he also wasn't the point guard for that specific job. He had a tough time finding his footing, and running the offense. That's particularly difficult on such a strangely cobbled together roster as the one the Kings currently have.
Doug Christie made a change after several dismal games from Schroder, moving him to the bench while the ultra hot Russell Westbrook took over as the starting point guard. It's hard to deny how successful that move has been as the Kings finally won two in a row for the first time this season.
The new and improved Dennis Schroder
Now playing off the bench, the biggest and most obvious change is Schroder's scoring. In the past five games, he has averaged 14.6 points while averaging just 5.6 points in the previous five games. It's a noticeable increase in output for someone who couldn't find his shot with a map for a while.
Schroder's playmaking and facilitating have improved, as well. When he's not scoring big numbers, he's making sure his teammates are finding the bottom of the cup. In last night's win over the Wolves, Dennis only had six points but he did have nine assists and five rebounds.
The biggest change in his game is his confidence. His movements are more fluid and almost relaxed, while still being assertive and high-energy. All of that is coming from the confidence in his game that just wasn't there when he was a starter. With that pressure off, Schroder is back in the flow.
Bench Schroder is the version of Dennis the Kings acquired, not to mention being the one they need on the court. With guys like him, Malik Monk, Maxime Raynaud, and Nique Clifford playing off the bench, Sacramento's secondary could become a low-key threat.