National Basketball Association

Budenholzer Needs Schroder To Play Tony Parker-esque

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Head coach Mike Budenholzer will need Dennis Schorder to quarterback the Hawks as Tony Parker does for the Spurs.

When Mike Budenholzer took over as the Atlanta Hawks head coach in the summer of 2013, he was fresh off a well-accomplished career as Gregg Poppovich’s assistant with the San Antonio Spurs. There, Budenholzer helped the Spurs win three titles in his 15 years there. So when the Hawks went coach shopping, they had a candidate primed and ready. In three seasons, he has taken the Hawks to heights they’ve never been to. A 60 win season in 2015 was attained under his leadership as well as the one seed. But, with the welcoming of Dennis Schroder as the incumbent point guard, great point guard play-reminiscent of Tony Parker in his younger years is key for Schroder to help the Hawks.

What does it mean to state he needs great guard play like Parker? High percentage shots, great offense runner and being allergic to turnovers. Parker’s primary way of scoring was using his speed to attack the basket. In his later years, he utilized his off season time to develop into a consistent jump shooter. Although not considered one of the best guards, Parker’s play delivered titles to San Antonio. For Schroder, he has a greater upside than a younger Parker ever did. Both are quick athletes, but Schroder has the Dynamo to develop into a lethal, exciting scorer. For the Hawks, that could add another dimension to an offense keen on perimeter shooting. Schroder also has more athleticism on his team, too. With that said, more opportunities for his play to ignite the team to develop outside of being a jump-shooting squad.

For Schroder, the key is to develop his play well-enough where he’s cautious, too. We all love Russell Westbrook and what he brings to the table. But, he catches flack for being a turnover machine. Schroder isn’t just the exciting point guard for the Hawks, he’s the Quarterback, too. And all the great floor generals who’ve won titles took care of the ball and their team’s possessions. If Schroder can accomplish that, he has the chance to make the Hawks legit contenders.

A Spurs-based offense is what Schroder operates in and he’s well aware of it. He also knows, too, he has to perform well for the Hawks. Either way, we can expect a special season coming up for the young point guard. The Hawks have so many questions to answer and training camp starts soon. Hopefully, the first one is whether or not Schroder has developed into an All-Star caliber playmaker for next season.