Hawks Roundtable: Is Dennis Schroder ready to replace Jeff Teague?

We continue our roundtable series with a look at the point guard position. If you missed either of the first two parts of this you can find them here and here.

Is Dennis Schroder ready to replace Jeff Teague?

(Kris Willis): I think so. While Schroder and Teague has formed a solid one-two punch for the Hawks, you could see that the team was going to need to make a decision at some point between the two. Schroder was the logical choice given his age and upside. The Hawks need him to mature quickly, but his defensive ability makes him an intriguing option at the point. There will be ups and downs for sure, but in the long term I think Schroder will be an upgrade at the position. Now if only I felt as good about the backups behind him.

(Brad Rowland): Even if Schröder simply replicates his production from last season (in more minutes), he isn’t a disaster in terms of operating as a starting point guard. With that, I’ll say yes. Do I think Schröder is as good as Teague right now? No, I don’t, but his upside is higher and given his age, there is every reason to think Dennis can make a significant leap forward. Much of my concern about the team’s point guard position comes from the two-pronged approach of evaluating Teague+Schroder against Schroder+Delaney/Jack, and I think that is a downgrade. There is still the possibility that Schroder leaps forward, though, and it will be intriguing to monitor.

(Harry Lyles): There’s going to be a learning curve but I think he’s capable. He’s got the tools, but the thing that appeared to hinder both him and Jeff Teague last season was inconsistency in playing time. Coach Bud was always forced to play the hot hand as opposed to going with one guy, and it seems with Teague gone that now Schroder will have a little bit more leeway with Budenholzer. While that might seem like a small thing, it can have a pretty big impact for a guy mentally, which counts for a whole lot more than nothing.

(Josh Lane): Whether we like it or not, he is going to be thrust into the position. I think he is ready to be a starter, however I do not think he is at Jeff Teague’s current level.

(Chris Herbert): I don’t think it matters if Dennis is ready. With Schröder becoming a restricted free agent next offseason, the only way to see if Dennis’ talent can translate into starter level production is to give him starter’s minutes. Developing a more consistent three point shot will help the offense’s spacing and in turn, give Dennis more room to attack the rim in the pick and roll.

(Thomas Jenkins): Yes, he is, although there will probably be some growing pains. In a perfect world, Schroder probably could have benefited from another year of experience before assuming the starting role. In reality though, the Hawks needed to make a decision and I think they made the right one. Schroder’s youth and athleticism add a lot to this team, and whatever mistakes he makes should be mitigated by his skill and expertise.

(Preston Mott): Yes and no. Schröder is still young. He's going to make a lot of lackadaisical mistakes with increased minutes. He was wasn't going to be content as a backup forever so he had to become a starter at some point. Schröder needs to show consistency and improvement this year. If he can do those two things then he will be in good shape.