Top 5 performances by Dennis Schroder with the LA Lakers this season
The LA Lakers signed Dennis Schroder this offseason in a bid to provide support to the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Not only has the German filled his role to perfection, but he has now become the team's most valuable player in the absence of their stars.
Dennis Schroder has delivered in almost every game he has featured in so far and has been solid on both ends of the floor. He is averaging 15.4 points, 5.5 assists and a career-best 1.2 steals per contest this season. The German has played 54 games for the LA Lakers this campaign, averaging 31.8 minutes per game, the third-highest on the team, just behind LeBron and AD.
5 Best performances by Dennis Schroder in an LA Lakers jersey
Dennis Schroder has been a force to be reckoned with of late and has only improved with each passing game. In his last outing against the Dallas Mavericks, he scored 25 points and dished out a season-high 13 assists. LA Lakers head coach Frank Vogel even labeled it as the 27-year-old's best performance of the season.
Dennis Schroder has produced multiple other exceptional performances for the LA Lakers this campaign. On that note, we list down five of his outings in Lakers uniform this season.
#1 Portland Trail Blazers vs. LA Lakers - February 26th, 2021
The LA Lakers struggled heavily post Anthony Davis' injury in February and received yet another blow after Dennis Schroder was ruled out due to COVID protocols. Schroder missed four games, which led to the Purple and Gold losing all encounters during the stretch.
Schroder returned to the lineup against the Portland Trail Blazers and made an impact right away, helping the LA Lakers to a 93-102 win. He scored 22 points on the night, shooting 42.9% from the field and 9-of-9 from the charity stripe. It could be said that this game helped the Lakers and Schroder understand the former's importance to the team's setup.
#2 LA Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings - 2nd March, 2021
This was the LA Lakers' last match before the All-Star break and the first in the absence of both LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The former was rested for the first time in the season, while the latter was ruled out because of a long-term injury.
With both stars out, the onus was on Dennis Schroder to lead the LA Lakers to a win, and he almost did. However, the Kings eventually won by 120-123. Regardless of the loss, Schroder put up a season-best performance of 28 points, nine assists, a block and a steal. He shot 55% from the field, including 50% from long-range, and made 4-of-5 shots from the free-throw line.
#3 LA Lakers vs. Brooklyn Nets - 10th April, 2021
The LA Lakers' sweetest win of the season was probably against the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center recently. The Lakers were in a vindictive mood but were without LeBron and AD. Meanwhile, the Nets had just welcomed back Kevin Durant to the team. Kyrie Irving partnered him for the game.
Many predicted it to be a one-sided affair, with the Nets picking up a fairly easy win. However, Dennis Schroder and the Lakers shocked NBA fans around the world by blowing out Steve Nash's side 126-101.
Schroder had been ejected from the game after an altercation with Kyrie, but he had already laid the foundation for his side with 19 points in 20 minutes of playtime. He shot 7-of-11 from the field, including 3-of-4 from the three-point line, and converted his two free throw attempts as well.
#4 Utah Jazz vs. LA Lakers - 17th April, 2021
Dennis Schroder has made it a point to step up in crunch games for the LA Lakers this season. The recent back-to-back against the league-leading Utah Jazz was no different. In the first of the two-game mini-series, the Lakers clinched a hard-fought 127-115 OT win.
Schroder came up clutch in the dying moments of the game and made a game-tying basket in the fourth quarter as well. He ended the night with 25 points, eight assists, six rebounds, 2 blocks, and a steal to his name.
#5 LA Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks - 22nd April, 2021
Dennis Schroder has been terrific in April, delivering consistent performances. As mentioned earlier, he had the best game of his LA Lakers career last night against the Dallas Mavericks. He scored 25 points and dished out 13 assists, making vital plays throughout the game. Schroder put the team on his shoulders as the returning Anthony Davis was placed on a minutes restriction.
The Lakers were down by 11 at half-time but Dennis Schroder put on a show at the start of the 3rd quarter, helping the Lakers cut down the deficit to 4 points at one stage. However, the Mavericks were the better team overall and ended up winning the game 115-110.