Dennis Schroder's direct demand to Jordi Fernandez before breaking Nets franchise record

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Dennis Schroder is making Brooklyn Nets history early this season. The veteran point guard turned in another brilliant performance on Wednesday, posting 33 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the field and 6-of-9 from three with eight assists and only two turnovers during a 119-106 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies had no answers for Dennis Schroder last night:

33 points
8 assists
2 turnovers
11/14 FG
6/9 from three
5/5 FT

The Nets point guard is off to the best start of his career. pic.twitter.com/rWIf0OZjst

— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) October 31, 2024

Schroder became the first player in Nets franchise history to post 25-plus points, five-plus assists and five-plus made threes in three consecutive games. With Memphis making a late comeback, he scored 11 fourth-quarter points to secure another upset win for Brooklyn, who was playing the second night of a back-to-back without Nic Claxton.

Head coach Jordi Fernandez said Schroder gave him a direct message before closing the game out.

"At one point, he said, 'Just give me the ball. I'll take care of this.' And that's what he does. He's a leader," Fernandez said. "He puts everybody in place. If he has to score, he scores. And he finished the game. So it's really, really, really good to have him on the court."

After joining the Nets at last year’s trade deadline, Schroder has been one of the NBA’s top surprises early this season.

Dennis Schroder leads rebuilding Nets on both ends

While Schroder has always been a capable point guard, he’s struggled to find an NBA home during the latter half of his career, changing teams seven times in the last seven seasons. However, it’s not an exaggeration to say he’s played like the NBA’s best point guard through five games.

The 30-year-old is averaging 24.6 points, 8.2 assists and 2.8 turnovers on 55/55/87 shooting splits. He and Nikola Jokic are the NBA’s only players averaging 20-plus points and eight-plus assists on over 40 percent shooting.

Schroder is one of five players averaging over eight assists per game, joining Jokic, James Harden, Trae Young and Ja Morant. His 2.93 assist/turnover ratio ranks second in the group, trailing only Jokic.

The German guard has been deadly operating in the pick-and-roll. He’s averaging 1.14 points per possession on the play, the fourth-highest mark among 23 players with over 30 possessions, behind only Damian Lillard, Darius Garland and Jalen Brunson.

However, his hot three-point shooting has been the most surprising aspect of his start. After shooting 34.2 percent for his career before this year, he ranks second in the NBA in three-point percentage among 38 players attempting over seven per game.

Schroder has carried over his stellar play from this summer’s Olympics to Brooklyn. He said Fernandez’s style reminds him of how he played during the offseason.

“This is how Jordi wants to play. We want to play fast. It reminds me of summer basketball a little bit,” he said. “He wants to play fast, shoot a lot of threes, compete on the defensive end, pressure fullcourt. And everybody’s competing, everybody’s having fun, and that’s gonna get us wins.”

Competing on the defensive end has been a calling card for Schroder since he entered the league. It’s been no different early this season despite his heavy offensive workload.

The veteran floor general embraced Fernandez’s fullcourt pressure defense from day one of training camp. Brooklyn forced 23 turnovers against Memphis, with Schroder’s point-of-attack defense playing a crucial role. Several Nets have identified him as the team’s leader early this season.

"He's a winner. This [guarding] 94 feet stuff, he's been doing that for years, so I'm just trying to catch up to him,” Ziaire Williams said. “He does everything to win. He causes havoc on the offensive and defensive sides. He’s playing amazing right now, shooting the ball at a high clip and making high-level plays. He's just being our leader.”

“I'm definitely glad to have him as my point guard. Playing against him for the last three years, I always hated it. I’m definitely happy to now be on his side.”

While Schroder has emerged as Brooklyn’s leader, it’s unclear what his future holds. His hot start could make him the NBA’s top point guard target on the trade market.

The 12-year veteran is in the final year of his contract at $13 million. After pivoting to a rebuild, the Nets are expected to field offers for veterans leading up to the trade deadline.

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