Dennis Schroder’s debut goes sour in blowout loss to Grizzlies

On By Littum

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Dennis Schroder was traded from a team trying to lose to a team that hasn’t brought the winning ways of their early-season halcyon days back into the bottle.

If they play like they did on Thursday, the Warriors’ bottle is broken.

The 51-point margin of defeat is tied for the fourth-largest loss in franchise history.

After starting 12-3 this season, the Warriors have now lost nine of their last 11 games and are sliding right into play-in territory. Their most recent loss was a 144-93 atrocity in which the Grizzlies completely outclassed them from start to finish. The Warriors (14-12) waved the white flag midway through the third quarter after trailing by 46.

The brutal blowout was a harsh welcome for Schroder, who had two practices with Golden State to acclimate. Schroder missed nine straight shots and finished with five points, five assists and four turnovers on 2-for-12 shooting.

Steph Curry scored two points and the Warriors were outscored by 42 in Draymond Green’s 19 minutes. They watched as the FedEx Forum crowd rose and danced to “Whoop That Trick” in the fourth quarter before hitting Beale Street early. As a team, the Warriors shot 35.6% from the floor and surrendered 27 3-pointers.

It took Schroder less than two minutes to get into the box as he drilled a step-back two off a pick-and-roll. It was the type of anti-Warriors play the team hopes to introduce as a counterbalance to their pace-and-space, motion offense that emphasizes 3s and layups.

But that bucket was one of just four made field goals in a pitiful opening quarter for the Warriors.

Steve Kerr changed his starting lineup to include Schroder and Draymond Green in an attempt to set the defensive tone. Instead, Memphis outscored the Warriors 37-15 in the first 12 minutes. Green left Santi Aldama open in the corner to help on a Scotty Pippen Jr. drive, resulting in a corner 3 as the first quarter horn sounded.

The Grizzlies brought all the power to the game. They implemented a full-court pressure on offense, and Ja Morant picked Schroder’s pocket at one point. The Grizzlies denied Curry the ball and pushed the tempo even after the Warriors made — rare as they were.