Newest Lakers Member Dennis Schroder Introduces Himself to Fans with a Tribute to Kobe Bryant

The Los Angeles Lakers have a new addition to their family. Dennis Schroder is thrilled to be a part of a team that had the legendary Kobe Bryant as the face of their franchise.

After being crowned the 2020 NBA Champions last season, the question that was thrown around the most was whether the franchise would defend their title with the same roster. Or would they end up making some roster changes? The Lakers have answered this by acquiring Dennis Schroder in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The deal included Danny Green and the 28th overall pick in this year’s draft for Schroder. This decision might hint at the possibility that the Lakers might lose veteran guard, Rajon Rondo in free agency, and they therefore wanted someone to fill his shoes if that were to happen.

Coming off the bench, the shooting guard Schroder averaged 18.9 points, 4 assists, 3.6 rebounds while shooting 46.9 percent from the field. His performance last season also made him a runner-up for NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award. However, joining former champions is not what has attracted Schroder to the Lakers.

The newest Laker pays his own tribute to Kobe Bryant

When the Lakers made the trade official after the draft on Wednesday, Dennis couldn’t help himself and went on Instagram and showed his love for Kobe Bryant. It clearly showed how happy he was with the trade.

While the franchise might love this move, is Schroder actually an asset for the Lakers?

Undoubtedly, the Lakers defense was one of the best in the league last season. But what they lacked was their offensive consistency. Especially when their two stars, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, did not have the ball in their hands. Everyone had hoped that Kyle Kuzma would step up as their third-scoring option, but his inconsistency dashed expectations. Therefore, Schroder could take on that role very well.

Even though the team has the best playmaker in the league in LeBron James, he can’t keep at it for the entirety of the game. Even in this situation, Dennis looks like a promising candidate for that when James is taking a breather.

Do you think Schroder will live up to his potential with the Lakers?