Interesting comparison to Kabongo. I'm intrigued that both (maybe esp. Schroeder) seem to have excellent defensive potential. Both seem competent enough (at least potentially) in running a team, though TOs a big issue now for both. Schroeder especially seems to have the NBA skills of penetration and P&R passing. We'll have to see about their shooting. Schroeder may be a little prickly as a leader, Kabongo seems like a natural leader. Schroeder is 2 years younger than McCollum, almost 2 years younger than Kabongo, a year younger than Burke.
Givony's latest on Schroeder:
The catalyst for much of that ball movement was German point guard Dennis Schroeder, who took over stretches of the action on Wednesday with his ability to get into the lane and make the right play. Possessing terrific speed and quickness, Schroeder did an excellent job turning the corner on the pick and roll and exploiting mismatches. Consistently able to freeze his defender with a hesitation move before exploding past him to the rim, Schroeder has been a handful for the other guards in attendance. The constant threat of his dribble drive put considerable pressure on the defense, especially in pick and roll settings, and he capitalized in a variety of ways, be it with a scoop or floater when he was given space in the lane, finding a cutter with a drop pass or creating an easy look for one of his big men with a lob when the defense tried to string him out.
Playing pesky, full-court defense, knocking down a number of jump shots, and looking great in the open floor as well, Schroeder is leaving a lasting impression with his play here in Portland. With Marcus Smart returning to school and a notable void after the top tier of point guard prospects in the 2013 draft at the moment, Schroeder could look to fill that gap with a strong performance in the actual game on Saturday. It will be worth watching a potential matchup with Andrew Harrison, who should present a unique challenge for Schroeder with his size.
