Dennis Schroder just enjoyed a monster Game 5 in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ win over the Toronto Raptors. And while Los Angeles Lakers fans probably understand why -- and are maybe even happy -- Schroder was moved. However, his showing in Game 5 is exactly the type of game LA would love to get more consistently.
The Lakers have Marcus Smart. They have Luke Kennard. Schroder didn’t work out with the Lakers, and that’s okay. But he’s a big-time performer. For the past two years, he’s come up big when it matters (on the Detroit Pistons, and now, the Cavs). LA could always use guys like that.
Schroder is still a hooper.
Dennis Schroder was huge for the Cavaliers in Game 5
In Game 5, the Cavs needed someone to step up. Schroder was that guy. The Raptors were knocking on the door of their third straight victory, and the Cavs had to find something.
That’s when Schroder stepped up. He played some crucial minutes for the Cavaliers, scoring the ball at an efficient clip and making some clutch shots down the stretch of the game.
In the fourth quarter alone, Schroder had 11 points and two assists while shooting 5-of-8 from the field and 1-of-3 from beyond the three-point line.
By the end of the evening, he had totaled 19 points and two assists, shooting 7-of-11 from the floor and 3-of-6 from deep range. He played 21:14 and was a +8 on the night, which was the third-best mark on the team.
Schroder played all 12 minutes in the fourth quarter.
The Lakers have plenty of guard play right now. They’ve been getting great production from their role players. Guys like Smart and Kennard have come up big in the Lakers’ first-round series.
But having someone like Schroder would still be helpful, especially considering how well he holds up on both ends of the court.
Schroder may not have worked out in LA. He may not be as consistent as some teams need him to be, which is likely part of the reason that the Lakers ended up moving on from him.
But when it mattered most in Game 5, Schroder was a crucial piece of the puzzle for the Cavs. Those are the moments when the Lakers, even though they probably made the right decision to move on from Schroder, may miss him a little bit.
He may not fit everywhere, but Schroder has an innate ability to impact winning in some big-time moments.
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