One of the biggest disappointments for the Sacramento Kings this season was Dennis Schroder as their starting point guard. But a recent move to the bench has completely changed his game. Schroder is looking more comfortable in his role than ever, and it's showing on the court.
When Dennis Schroder joined the Kings, he found himself in a completely unwinnable situation. Sacramento imploded during the 2024-2025 season, leaving the team without theire long-time point guard, De'Aaron Fox. Saying he's a hard act to follow is a massive understatement.
But that's what Schroder was brought in to do. To make matters worse, Dennis had an incredible showing in the 2025 EuroBasket Tournament. Everyone thought that was the Schroder the Kings were getting, ignoring the fact FIBA Schroder has always been different than NBA Schroder.
Essentially, expectations for him were unachievably high as he joined one of the most imbalanced rosters in the league. You could see the weight of all that pressure on him, and it changed his game. He has been inconsistent all season, playing terribly during the Kings' recent dismal home stand.
A major change has been good for the Kings and Schroder
After several tough games, Doug Christie made the choice to move Schroder to the bench and make Russell Westbrook the starting point guard. It was the only choice as Dennis was buckling while Russ was on fire. Seriously. He's been playing some mind blowing basketball the last few weeks.
This has proven to be the right choice for everyone. Schroder is playing incredibly off the bench, and has become an integral part of the Kings' second line. He's making a huge difference on the floor by adding tenacious defense to that crew while also scoring up an absolute storm.
More than that, he has energy and focus in his game once again. Schroder has always played at his own pace, taking his time to asses the court and then hitting his opponents with explosivity. All of that seemed to fade away as a starter as the pressure to win changed his perspective on the game.
The whole thing is reminiscent of the Kings starting Malik Monk at point guard right after Fox left. It was a trainwreck. Like Schroder, Monk just plays way better off the bench. As for Westbrook, he's built for that pressure and tempered by 17 seasons in the league. He's right where he belongs, too.