Pulling a loss from the jaws of victory once again, the Sacramento Kings lost their fourth meeting with the Minnesota Timberwolves. While that was disappointing, it was great to see Dennis Schroder back on the court. They might have lost the game, but he put up a good fight.
Schroder had been out for several games thanks to a right hip flexor strain. It's a difficult injury to deal with, as rehabbing it can be a tricky and somewhat unpredictable process. As such, there wasn't really a timeline for his return, and it was more of a day-to-day assessment kind of situation.
Fans didn't really know when he was coming back, just that they needed him on the court. While Schroder didn't really work out as the starting point guard, he's proven to be a key scorer off the bench. There have been several losses in his absence, often by numbers close to his average.
As such, it was great for the Kings to have him back on the court against the Wolves. He finished the game with 17 points, one rebound, and three assists. Keeping in mind that he has missed several games, those are impressive numbers for his big return to the roster.
Dennis Schroder has become a key player off the bench
For a team to be a contender, or even win a few games, it needs a reliable bench core that can score and defend. The Kings' bench did well against the Wolves, with Dennis Schroder and Precious Achiuwa both scoring 17 points and Malik Monk picking up 16. It was good to see.
More than scoring, Schroder provides energy, facilitation, and leadership to the bench crew. During his absence, they just didn't seem to be as lively or intense as when he's there. Keeping in mind that other players like Keon Ellis and Devin Carter remained on the bench, that energy was back.
Regardless, Schroder still needs to work on his shooting a bit. He only shot five of 11 from the field for 45.5%. He did better from three and from the free throw line, shooting three for five and four for five, respectively. That rhythm from the floor will return as he continues to recover.
It's going to take a lot more than a healthy Dennis Schroder shooting the lights out from the bench to get wins from the Kings. That being said, they have a better chance of picking up more W's if he comes off the bench to drop 15 to 20 points every game.