Dennis Schroder needs to stay aggressive

Anthony Davis struggled for the Lakers in Game 1 and LeBron James was decent, but there has not really been much talk about Dennis Schroder. He is arguably the third most important player on this team and he had a solid game, scoring 14 points on 5-7 shooting, but he needs to be more aggressive over the course of Game 2. 

At times in Game 1, it seemed like Schroder deferred to LeBron and AD, which is normal given the Lakers approach on offense, but with AD struggling, Schroder needed to have the ball in his hands and make some plays. 

READ MORE: NBA Rumors: Chris Paul could use New York Knicks as leverage in free agency

With James off-the-court and Schroder running the point, he found a lot of success attacking the basket and blowing past some of the Suns’ defenders. There were a handful of plays in the second-half where Schroder would use his athleticism to get to the rim and quickly finish a layup as the Suns were trying to block his shot. 

He did the same “blow-by” move at least three times in this game and he needs to continue to do this if the Lakers are going to win Game 2 and even this series. Schroder knows his role with this team and while he can knock down three-point shots from time-to-time, he is a much better player when he is driving to the rim and finishing layups. 

In Game 2, watch for Dennis Schroder to step up and have a big game, especially with Chris Paul being dinged up in Game 1 and possibly dealing with a shoulder injury. If Schroder can get going early on and have these kinds of offensive plays in the first-half, then the Lakers will be able to control the game since they will have the early lead.