3. A bench duo of Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrell can swing playoff series for the Los Angeles Lakers
This is a partnership that has seen plenty of highlights this season but it still feels like it has not reached its ultimate form. At its best, the Dennis Schroder-Montrezl Harrell duo is one that can legitimately swing a playoff series in the Los Angeles Lakers’ favor.
As a pure bench duo, there is nothing better in the league. While we have not seen it in a traditional sense, bringing in both Schroder and Harrell fresh off the bench in a pivotal point of the game can secure multiple victories for the team.
The Lakers have the star power and are going to get things done with LeBron and AD. Having Schroder and Harrell on top of that as a duo that the team can bring in when LeBron and AD need to take a seat against the other team’s second unit is massive.
This is a bench duo that could legitimately average a combined 30 points per night if everything is going right. Some quick math: LeBron and AD will average at least 50 per game in the playoffs, plus 30 from Schroder and Harrell, plus 15 from the rest of the starting five, plus 15 from the rest of the bench gets the Lakers to 110 points.
While it has been ugly recently, the Lakers are a good defensive team and 110 points is more than enough to win enough playoff games to repeat as champions.
The Lakers are losing some of their offensive firepower off the bench by starting Schroder and he is not going to his points ceiling by starting.
By coming off the bench, Schroder would be giving the Lakers a sixth and seventh man that other teams simply cannot keep up with.