Los Angeles Lakers guard Dennis Schröder returned to the court on Friday to help his team (23-11) snap a four-game losing skid against the Portland Trail Blazers (18-13), 102-93.
The aggressive point guard sparked the Lakers with his signature energy on both ends of the floor, dropping 22 points and hitting 9-of-9 from the free-throw line.
Schröder's return was more than welcome. Already suffering through the absence of Anthony Davis (calf strain), L.A. dropped all four contests without Schröder, who learned about an hour prior to last Thursday's showdown with the Brooklyn Nets that he would be held out due to contact tracing.
Schröder was subsequently forced to quarantine for seven days. As he detailed to the media following the Blazers win, he was mainly relegated to playing video games and working out in his guest house. Instead of empowering his teammates on the court, he was texting them feedback as he watched the Lakers struggle from the confines of his home.
“I had my thoughts, I’d share with my teammates via text,” he said. “It was just hard for me to be in my guest house. Playing video games, working out. It sucked.”
Following Friday's victory, Schröder — who hadn't spoken publicly since entering health and safety protocols — voiced his displeasure with the NBA's policies.
“It hurts,” he said, regarding the forced isolation from the Lakers. “I never had COVID. Tested negative the whole time. The situation is what it is. But the NBA has to do better.”
(Funnily enough, the Zoom presser temporarily disconnected following that sentence, causing some media members to jokingly speculate that Adam Silver remotely halted the session.)
“I think they for sure need to be better,” Schröder continued. “I tested negative the whole time. They gotta figure that out, for sure. I don’t wanna go deep into that.”
Schröder didn't elaborate on what exactly the league can do differently. But he was clearly irked by being held in quarantine despite the lack of consistent positive tests. He revealed that he apparently violated contact tracing protocol after an interaction with a household mate.
“Somebody in my house,” he said when asked who he came into contact with. “But the test came back positive, then we put that back in, negative, then another one positive, then put it back in, negative.”
The guard added that he was “inside the arena already, in the car” last Thursday when he got the call that he might be held out. The news came about 15 minutes after head coach Frank Vogel told reporters that he was specifically looking forward to the matchup between Kyrie Irving and Schröder.
Dennis Schröder said his wife could sense his elation after he awoke on Friday.
“My wife said when I got up today, you seem like you … Happy.”
Predictably, Schröder's enthusiasm and vigor rubbed off on his teammates, as it has for much of the 2020-21 season.
“It’s really a two-way thing,” Vogel said about Schröder's impact. “He gives us a punch. He can create a shot when we have a little bit of a drought.” The coach praised the tone he set with his on-ball defense and tenacity, too.
James echoed those sentiments and noted the lift his presence gave the entire team.
“Dennis gives us an automatic spark,” James said. “His energy alone gives us a spark. His competitive nature gives us a spark … To have him back in our lineup and back in our locker room just means so much to our team.”
L.A. was also powered by a return-to-MVP-form from James, who filled up the box score with 28 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, four steals, and three blocks.
Schröder's primary matchup, Blazers superstar Damian Lillard, got his customary buckets (35 points), but he was held to 11 points in the second half (though he looked to be playing through pain).
L.A.'s feisty point guard is thrilled to be out of his guest house and back on the court, but his upcoming assignments won't get any easier. The Lakers will face Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, host Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, then head north to deal with De'Aaron Fox and the Sacramento Kings.
On the other hand: Schröder is one of the game's best competitors, and relishes opportunities to face the best of the best.
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