Hawks are taking the leap on Schroder, rest is up to him

The Howard question is the higher-profile of the two subjects because for most of his career he was a superstar until an on-court and off-court slide over the past five seasons. Schroder is a different issue entirely, but in the long-term he may have a greater determination in how the Hawks do this season and beyond for the simple reason he's the starting point guard.

The Hawks certainly are committing to him. Schroder announced  on Twitter Wednesday that he signed a four-year contract extension with the Hawks. The deal is  worth $70 million ($62 million guaranteed), beginning in 2017-18.

In the NBA world, which is different from the real world, $17.5 million a year for a good starting point guard is not outrageous. If you factor in that he will earn only $2.7 million this season, his five-year annual average actually comes down to $14.54 million. But will Schroder prove to be worth that?

The Hawks had to decide between Teague and Schroder after last season. It figured they would choose the younger player with the perceived higher upside. So Teague went to Indiana in a three-way trade that brought Utah's first-round pick (Taurean Prince) to Atlanta.

Schroder is a fun player to watch. He also can be aggravating to watch. In some ways, he reminds me of Josh Smith. If you picked out the five best and five worst plays of any game in a season, there was a good chance Smith was involved in majority of the 10.

Nobody questions Schroder's talent, speed, enthusiasm, fire or passion. When a game is on the line, he certainly won't be shy about taking the shot or having the ball in his hand. His emotions (good and bad) were on display in the playoff series against Boston last season.

But he also can be stubborn and immature. The uncertainty is whether he can be a leader, on and off the court. And can he make players around him better?

We're about the find out. If Schroder evolves into the player the Hawks believe he can be, they'll be fine. If not, the team will be on the hook for a lot of money for a player who should be coming off the bench.

COMING THURSDAY: Part 1 of a fantastic two-part interview with Hawks co-owner Jesse Itzler on the "We Never Played The Game Podcast." Part I will be posted Thursday morning and Part II on Monday, both accompanied by blogs. Subscribe for free and listen to all podcasts on iTunes or on the WSB Radio show page.