Dennis Schroder's time at the Golden State Warriors last season was a rather forgettable one, but the veteran guard is now making his mark in this year's playoffs as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Schroder was a desperately needed spark for the Cavaliers in a crucial Game 5 of their first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, giving them a scoring punch the Warriors never received during his brief tenure with the franchise.
Dennis Schroder sparks Cavaliers in fourth-quarter of Game 5
The German had 19 points and two assists in a big 125-120 victory, shooting a highly efficient 7-of-11 from the floor and 3-of-6 from 3-point range in over 21 minutes off the bench.
It was Schroder's work in the fourth-quarter that was most notable though, playing all 12 minutes where Cleveland overcame a three-point deficit. The 32-year-old had 11 points and two assists in the period, shooting 5-of-8 from the floor as head coach Kenny Atkinson went to a smaller lineup down the stretch.
Schroder had produced a fairly underwhelming series through the first four games, averaging just 4.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting only 38.9% from the floor and 12.5% from 3-point range.
However, Schroder's performance in a big moment on Wednesday may have in itself vindicated Cleveland's decision to acquire him, alongside fellow guard Keon Ellis, in a mid-season trade that sent De'Andre Hunter to the Sacramento Kings.
Schroder had only twice passed 15 points in his previous 34 games with the Cavaliers following the trade, but he chose the exact right time to help put his team back in control of the series heading to a Game 6 back in Toronto.
Dennis Schroder endured tough period with the Warriors
When Golden State acquired Schroder from the Brooklyn Nets in December 2024, they were hopeful he'd deliver these type of performances that would assist them in making the playoffs. Instead, Schroder and the Warriors failed to mesh, leading to his exit in the blockbuster Jimmy Butler trade less than two months later.
Schroder appeared in just 24 games with Golden State, averaging 10.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists in over 26 minutes. While those numbers don't sound terrible, it was still a hard watch as Schroder shot only 37.5% from the floor while holding the worst plus-minus on the team.
This isn't the first time Schroder has been able to provide playoff impact for one of his 11 different teams, but the Warriors weren't one of them during a period both player and franchise would prefer to forget.
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