Coming off a major EuroBasket victory, Dennis Schroder could be in for a rough season with the Sacramento Kings. Expectations for him are through the roof, though his defensive capabilities will appeal to Doug Christie's focus on that end of the court. It might save his job.
Schroder is stepping into the starting point guard position De'Aaron Fox left behind. Schroder is definitely a great player, but he is no De'Aaron Fox. That comparison will follow Schroder all season long, no matter how well he plays. Even success could seem like failure in this case
Schroder's EuroBasket success, combined with the comparisons to Fox, will make it incredibly difficult for Schroder to find personal victory. Even if he does a great job, there's a strong possibility that fans, coaches, and the front office won't see his efforts as good enough to keep that job.
It's a tough position, to say the least. Schroder is headed into the regular season with some major expectations on his back. The entire franchise is looking for big things from him. But he also brings a strong defensive presence to Sacramento that may make his coaches happy.
Dennis has one big move in his back pocket
Going into training camp, head coach Doug Christie made it abundantly clear that defense is the priority. That is definitely something that the Kings have been missing for quite some time. The problem is that few players on the current roster are known for their defensive acumen.
Dennis Schroder is. The man has been described as an absolute dog on defense who delivers unrelenting on-ball pressure all the way down the court. Even if the box score numbers don't always reflect this effort, his energy and tenacity on defense are absolutely clutch.
That's a big part of the reason why teams signed Schroder in the first place. His defensive presence brought him to the NBA and keeps him in the league. While that alone won't guarantee his place on the Kings roster as the starting point guard, it does fit in nicely with Sacramento's defensive focus.
Realistically, this will be a tough season all around for the Kings, not just Dennis Schroder. The whole team needs to shake off their dismal performance last season and move forward. Hopefully, they give their new point guard the benefit of the doubt while he figures things out on his new team.