The Golden State Warriors have been at a crossroads over the last few seasons about whether to trust their veterans or rely on their young stars to win games.
They decided to let Klay Thompson go earlier this year, but still placed a bet on the dynamic duo of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
At 36 years old, Curry is having a great season. However, there are clear signs of offensive burden on the Baby-Faced Assassin.
Curry has averaged 23.0 points per game this season while navigating through injuries. It’s obvious that the 4x NBA champion is overburdened with the team’s offensive duties.
As a result, the Dubs didn’t think twice before trading for Dennis Schroder in a deal with the Brooklyn Nets. Head coach Steve Kerr recently announced that Schroder’s arrival will be key, especially during “non-Steph” minutes.
“We need to take some of the burden off Steph. He’s had to take on, I think, an abnormal load this year of responsibility offensively,” Kerr said, per ESPN.
He added: “What we’ve missed is another pick-and-roll player so that Steph doesn’t have to run so much pick-and-roll all game and wear himself down.”
Schroder impressed many with his scoring during his short stint with the Nets. The 12-year veteran averaged 18.4 points per game while playing a career-high 33.6 minutes.
Kerr intends to take full advantage of the 31-year-old presence on the roster to ensure Curry stays fresh come playoff time.
Curry is a terrific player and playing alongside him is a dream come true for any NBA player. Schroder is thrilled to add Curry to his list of Hall of Fame teammates.
“Just to be able to be around them now, especially Steph. He’s one of, if not the best point guard ever. Best shooter of course. Just excited to see how he works and to be a part of it,” he continued.
Schroder thinks of himself as a defender and will try to impact the game on both ends of the floor while Curry can enjoy his scoring runs.
“Steph Curry is a guy who can score 40s, 50s, or 60s but for me, I always relied on my defense. I’m always trying to impact the game on both ends,” Schroder said about playing with Curry.
With Schroder already participating in scrimmages, fans should expect him to make his Warriors debut this Thursday against the Memphis Grizzlies.
