Schröder’s Warriors nightmare debuts amid much bigger problems originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Dennis Schröder’s first points in his Warriors debut Thursday night were a clear example of why general manager Mike Dunleavy wasted no time, going out and acquire veteran guard at first, he could. The speedy guard beat Ja Morant to the spot he was focusing on, got back up and nailed a mid-range jumper from 12 feet.
His first two points were also the Warriors’ first two of the night after starting in an 8-0 hole. It only got worse from there in the Warriors game. embarrassing defeat 144-93 against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum.
The new Warrior made four more shots in the first quarter and missed all four as Golden State trailed Memphis by 22 points, 37-15. He took four more in the second quarter. Once again, Schröder came up empty every time. Only now, the Warriors’ halftime deficit increased to 31 points, 69-38.
Schröder missed his first try of the second half, giving him nine straight misses, before finally hitting another mid-range jumper from 18 feet with just under seven minutes left in the third quarter. The two points made for a 41-point game, 90-49.
A minute later, Schröder missed again, one last time. With five minutes left in the third quarter and the Warriors down 46 points, Schröder’s first game in goal for Golden State ended prematurely and unforgettable.
“Dennis looked like a guy on a new team,” coach Steve Kerr told reporters after the ugly loss. “It’s always tough being traded mid-season and playing with a whole new group and having different terminology and all that.”
Through his first 23 games with the Brooklyn Nets this season, Schröder, in his 12th NBA campaign, was enjoying perhaps his best offensive production. While his 18.4 points per game ranks as the third best of his career, it’s his efficiency, both inside and behind the 3-point line, that has shined the most. Not in his first match as a Warrior, though. Like the rest of his teammates, nothing went as planned for Schroder.
He played a total of 22 minutes and scored five points, his second lowest output this season. Schröder made 2 of 12 from the field, missed all four of his 3-point attempts and split both of his free throws. While his five assists were a team high, Schroder’s four turnovers were also tied among the Warriors.
Blaming him for the Warriors’ spanking would be as unforgivable as the product Kerr’s players put on the ground for 48 minutes. Schröder’s nightmarish debut was just one incident among the Warriors’ much bigger problems.
“Look, they did a great job on Steph (Curry),” Kerr said. “Denying him everywhere, making every one of his catches difficult. … We lost nine out of 11. We’re in shock and we clearly need to get it back.
Somehow Schröder was better than his new backcourt companion and future Hall of Famer. Curry played 24 minutes and scored two points. He made seven shots and couldn’t convert once, including all six of his 3-pointers.
Thursday was just the seventh time in Curry’s 16-year NBA career that he failed to make at least one shot in a game, but his 24 minutes played was his most without doing so, as were his seven missed shots. This is also what happens when a 36 year old man dealing with bilateral knee painas well as recent inflammation in his neck area, are kept on the 94 feet and no one else is really scaring the opposition into changing strategy.
The Grizzlies denied and locked down Curry wherever he went, regardless of his distance from the hoop. They were willing to let anyone else beat them, or at least try.
Andrew Wiggins was the Warriors’ only efficient scorer, giving them 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting and 4-of-5 from long range. Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins didn’t care. Jonathan Kuminga was sent to the bench and went 2 of 12 from the field for 11 points. Brandin Podziemski scored a team-high 21 points off the bench, but 16 points in the fourth quarter when the Warriors entered the final quarter trailing the Grizzlies by 50 points.
Heralded early in the season when the Warriors started with a 12-3 record, their defense has now allowed 287 points in the last two games. They allowed 46 first-quarter points to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night, only to see the Grizzlies score 37 in the first a few days later, rotating late and assisting on wide-open shots throughout the game.
Bringing in Schröder was a necessary and necessary addition. Judging the moving of a match would be stupid.
Everything outside of Schröder’s first appearance was a worrying trend that the Warriors can’t wait forever to resolve if there’s any chance of salvaging this season, and taking advantage of the last few years, Curry can give the the only franchise he ever knew.
