The Brooklyn Nets knew they would have their hands full against the Memphis Grizzles on Wednesday night. The Nets had just come off a tough 144-139 loss to Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, and with Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. playing, Brooklyn had tall tasks. Nevertheless, Dennis Schroder continued his incredible stretch of play and led the Nets to a 119-106 victory.
Schroder finished with a game-high 33 points along with eight assists, and two rebounds on a red-hot 78.6 field goal percentage (11-for-14) and 66.7 percent (6-for-9) three-point accuracy. In the process, he became the first player in Nets franchise history to record 25-plus points, five-plus assists, and five-plus three-pointers made in three straight games, per Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.
Under Schroder's leadership, the Nets improved their record to 2-3 with their win over the Grizzlies, which still holds them out of the top eight in the Eastern Conference standings. Yet, Brooklyn must be ecstatic about Schroder's early-season ascent.
During the 2024 offseason, Schroder's future plans became clear when he said he wanted to remain with the Nets long-term. He expressed a desire to mentor Brooklyn's younger players and later revealed he was impressed by the impression the team and its players made on him when he joined via trade in February 2024.
Schroder is exceeding expectations through the first part of the season, and his success will only aid Brooklyn's endeavors.
Dennis Schroder's rise is a win-win for Nets
Through his first five games of 2024-25, Schroder averages 24.6 points and 8.2 assists on a blazing 55.3 three-point shooting clip. He has come up huge in Brooklyn's first two wins of the year, which might have some Nets fans worried about the team's plans for the 2025 NBA Draft.
The fewer games Brooklyn wins during the season, the better the chance they have of landing a top pick. If Schroder continues to help the Nets win, then their chances of being able to select a top prospect will decrease. However, Schroder's success helps Brooklyn regardless.
Schroder might be proving that the Nets are truly better than expected, and if that is the case, who is to say he cannot lead them to a deep run? If this scenario doesn't happen, then Schroder's play can at least increase his value if Brooklyn decides to trade him. Then, the team can get an even healthier amount of assets than they already have.
Lastly, Schroder's success with Brooklyn is a positive because his example can rub off on the team's younger players, who are largely viewed as the future of the franchise.
With Dennis Schroder leading the charge, expect the Nets to have many short and long-term wins at hand.