The Sacramento Kings getting absolutely annihilated by the Oklahoma City Thunder was tough sledding for everyone on the team, especially Dennis Schroder. He finished the game shooting zero for 10 from the field. As the primary point guard, the Kings need more from him every game.
After the unfortunate departure of De'Aaron Fox in the 2024-2025 season, the Kings needed a new starting point guard. They ended up signing Dennis Schroder, who went on to have an incredible offseason in the 2025 EuroBasket Tournament. It was a good sign for Sacramento.
But Schroder has been in the NBA for a long time and everyone knows he shines in FIBA play. On an NBA court, he is capable of playing truly inspired basketball. The problem is consistency. When he's on, he's amazing. When he's off, his game can take some really dark turns.
That definitely happened against OKC. Schroder had an impressively awful shooting game. He shot zero for 10 from the field, which included going zero for five from the three-point line. His only points came from a pair of free throws. Keeping that in mind, he did deliver in other ways.
Kings need a consistent Schroder
While Schroder was shooting like it was his first time on a basketball court, he was still playing tough defense and setting others up for success. Dennis actually finished the game with eight assists, second on the Kings only to Russell Westbrook who had nine. Russ is unstoppable this season.
Playing good defense and getting assists is incredibly important. That being said, he is the starting point guard, and the Kings need him to score. That doesn't mean on and off, either. That means every game he's on the court, he needs to lead by example and take the ball to the rack.
Right now, Westbrook is filling that role. Russell is regularly dropping double-doubles and even the occasional triple-double on his opponent's heads. He actually collected 24 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists in the loss against the OKC. Russ had another hot game, adding to a great season.
Everyone has an off night. Nobody is perfect. At the same time, Schroder's inconsistency will continue to be an issue for the Kings. The team needs this season to be the one that FIBA Schroder comes to the NBA to stay. If that happens, Dennis would be one of the top point guards in the League.