Austin Reaves and Dennis Schroder show each other love after facing off in pre-World Cup play

Published by

Jesse Cinquini

August 21, 2023 4:40 pm

Former Los Angeles Lakers teammates Austin Reaves and Dennis Schroder faced off against each other in a FIBA World Cup exhibition game on Sunday. Reaves’ team, Team USA, came out on top against Schroder’s team, Germany, by a final score of 99-91.

After the game, Reaves and Schroder shared a nice embrace.

Both Reaves and Schroder put together impressive performances in Sunday’s game. Reaves scored 16 points for Team USA, while Schroder scored 16 points and dished out 10 assists for Germany.

Reaves, 25, has spent two seasons in the NBA, both as a member of the storied Lakers franchise. He averaged 13.0 points per game on 52.9 percent shooting from the field and 39.8 percent from behind the three-point arc during the 2022-23 regular season.

Meanwhile, Schroder, 29, was selected with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft and has played for five teams — the Lakers, Atlanta Hawks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets — across his 10 seasons in the NBA. The 6-foot-1 guard averaged 12.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.2 blocks per game in 66 appearances with the Lakers during the 2022-23 regular season (50 starts).

Schroder agreed to a two-year, $26 million deal with the Toronto Raptors back in June. The Raptors might have the worst point-guard depth in the NBA right now, as Schroder, Malachi Flynn, Jeff Dowtin Jr. and rookie Markquis Nowell are the team’s point guards. Fred VanVleet, Toronto’s starting point guard a season ago, agreed to a lucrative three-year, $130 million max deal with the Rockets in free agency.

Considering the Raptors are very light on depth at the point guard position, it appears likely that Schroder will be the team’s starting point guard next season. After all, Schroder is the most accomplished and experienced NBA player that the Raptors have at the point guard position. Here’s to hoping that Schroder will thrive as Toronto’s floor general during the 2023-24 regular season and beyond.

Jesse Cinquini

Jesse is a sports journalist with extensive experience covering the NBA. He has worked as a staff writer covering the Lakers’ dreaded rivals, the Boston Celtics, for SB Nation. He has also covered the New York Knicks for The Knicks Wall.