Dennis Schroder has revealed that during his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, there was one teammate who struggled to meet playoff-level demands. The veteran guard did not name the player but explained that adjustments were necessary early in the postseason.
“There was definitely a player I played with for one season in L.A. who just wasn’t made for the playoffs,” the German point guard said on the Golden Hoops Podcast, via HoopsHype. “I’d rather not say who it was, but there was definitely a player like that, and it became clear pretty early. At that point, adjustments had to be made. It turned into, ‘Listen, maybe next round is your round, but in this round it’s extremely difficult to play you.’ That can happen to anybody.”
Schroder cited the Lakers’ series against the Boston Celtics as an example, noting that if a player cannot hold their ground against top scorers like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, coaches must react quickly.
The 32-year-old Schroder has played 13 NBA seasons across multiple teams, including Atlanta, Oklahoma City, Los Angeles, Brooklyn, Toronto, Golden State, Detroit, Sacramento, and Cleveland. Over his career, he has averaged 13.7 points, 4.9 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game, with his playoff averages slightly lower at 11.9 points and 3.7 assists over 74 games.
During the 2020-21 season with the Lakers, Schroder started 61 of 61 games, averaging 32.1 minutes and 15.4 points per contest. Los Angeles’ postseason that year ended in the first round.
