With the Atlanta Hawks decimated of a lot of the talent they have had in previous years, their rough start this year was somewhat expected. Without any true All-Stars remaining on the roster, point guard Dennis Schroder has been thrust into the role of the team’s lead playmaker. Schroder has shown flashes of brilliance in the past and has been the man running the show since the departure of Jeff Teague years ago.
However, in order to lead a team, you must be out there on the court in the first place, specifically during the game’s most crucial juncture. This is something that didn’t hold true for the Hawks latest showdown with the New York Knicks on Sunday night. New York was able to pull out a resilient 111-107 win, and it was Schroder who was left on the bench during the game’s final eight-plus minutes.
When asked about the benching postgame, Schroder told Michael Cunningham of Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he was just as perplexed by the decision as anyone else:
“You’ve got to ask Coach and then let me know, I’m supposed to be out there but it didn’t happen. So, that’s it.”
“Nobody is perfect, whatever happens, you can come talk to me. I don’t know. I think the starting five is supposed to be out there just competing and try to get the win… I will just wait until he comes to me.”
Schroder obviously has a point as to question why he was benched in the first place. He’s been their lead man all season long and though it hasn’t translated to wins, Dennis Schroder is clearly still their most talented player.
When Mike Budenholzer was asked about the decision to stray from Schroder in the 4th, the Hawks head coach cited the play of others as to his reasoning:
“Isaiah gave us a big lift,” Budenholzer said. “Malcolm (Delaney) came in, in the first half, gave us a big lift. Just a coach’s decision.”
Though Budenholzer’s explanation is fair enough, it doesn’t necessarily add up. Schroder led the team with his 21 points, a mark he reached in just 22 minutes of playing time.
It appears that turmoil could be brewing under the surface in Atlanta similar to how the Memphis Grizzlies have begun to unravel recently after their star was benched down the stretch.
