At this point, the Sacramento Kings have been without Dennis Schroder since their November 24 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, and there have been no announcements regarding his return. That's a major issue as Schroder has become a key part of the Kings' bench offense.
After Schroder's terrible start to the season as Sacramento's starting point guard, you wouldn't expect him to be even remotely integral to the team. He was shooting inconsistently, had huge problems running the offense, and just seemed out of sorts every time he was in the game.
The decision to move him to the bench and put the surging Russell Westbrook in as the starting point guard changed things dramatically. Schroder almost immediately started shooting better, and was definitely far more at ease on the court. He was finally finding a rhythm.
Then, a right hip flexor strain caused him to miss the last several games and possibly more. It's an insidious injury that can be incredibly persistent, and often requires relatively significant time to heal correctly. That's definitely not what either Dennis Schroder or the Kings wanted to hear.
The Kings need Dennis Schroder's everything off the bench
Sacramento's only back-to-back wins this season were Schroder's last two games before the injury. He was a big scorer in one of the games, and was a key playmaker in both games. Plus, he's one of the most underrated defenders on the court in the NBA. The Kings need everything he's offering.
Since his injury, the Kings have gone one and five. Their record before the injury was worse, but Sacramento was starting to pick up steam with him on the bench. Their only victory since his injury was a surprisingly dominant one over the Miami Heat. It remains the Kings' best game of the season.
Looking at the other five losses, Schroder likely would have been a difference maker for Sacramento. He's averaging 12.4 points and 6.0 assists per game this season, all of which could have helped win. Except for that 121 to 95 loss to the Rockets. The Kings got molly whopped that night.
Dennis Schroder isn't having a perfect season by any stretch of the imagination. Frankly, no one on the Kings is. But Schroder's transition to the bench gave him the space to improve, start to find a rhythm, and improve his play. The Kings need him back in the saddle as soon as possible.