If asked who is the best, most reliable player on the Atlanta Hawks' roster, most would say Dennis Schroder.
Sports Illustrated's Rob Mahoney thinks so too.
Mahoney listed Schroder at the No. 76 spot on The Crossover's list of the Top 100 NBA Players of 2018.
Because of how well he picked up starting duties when the Hawks traded Jeff Teague in the 2016 offseason, Schroder — the only Hawk to make SI’s list— is ready for a bigger role this season, Mahoney wrote.
Schroder averaged 17.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists last season.
“It’s reasonable to wonder, however, just how much further Schroder can go within this sort of role,” Mahoney wrote. “His credentials off the dribble speak for themselves; only Isaiah Thomas averaged more drives to the basket, per NBA.com, and yet Schroder still converted 50.4 percent of his shots off those drives.
“What’s off is his sense of timing. Schroder is a reasonably effective playmaker who tends to irk his teammates by when he chooses to pass and when he does not. Lobs are sometimes thrown a beat too late. Shooters who were open just a moment previously find themselves covered once Schroder finally decides to send the ball their way. Schroder just isn’t a natural playmaker."
Mahoney's full rankings can be read on SI's official website.
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