Charles Lee Calls Dennis Schröder ‘Extension of the Coaching Staff’ After Hornets Debut

Dennis Schröder started at point guard for the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night and scored 19 points in a 110-103 win over the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center.

He shot 7-of-13 from the field, missed all 3 of his 3-point attempts, and went 5-of-5 from the free-throw line. Schröder added 6 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 turnovers in 34:41.

He started in place of Coby White, who missed the opener with a left calf strain. Hornets coach Charles Lee said Sunday that there was still no timeline for White or Kon Knueppel.

With 7:20 left, a Michael Porter Jr. floater pulled Brooklyn within 94-90. Over the next 1:42, Schröder scored 8 straight Charlotte points while the Nets managed 2.

His layup with 5:38 remaining put the Hornets up 102-92.

He scored 8 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and finished plus-2. His 5 free throws were part of a 13-of-15 night at the line for Charlotte, which assisted on 26 of its 41 field goals.

Schröder has been in Charlotte since August, and Lee said the team already feels his impact at practice every day.

"Some of it is definitely us empowering him to [be vocal], but a lot of it, to be honest, is just that's just who Dennis is," Lee said. "I think that he understands what the situation needs. He's not afraid to speak up and say what needs to be said, and I think that he's earned the respect of the coaching staff as well as his teammates. When he speaks, I think everyone's listening."

"And you gotta respect the guy's competitive spirit that he has, but also the basketball IQ that he has," Lee continued. "So it's always from a really good place. It's trying to not only help his teammate be better, but the team be better, and the team to win the game. And so he's an extension of the coaching staff, which I love, because a lot of times he's saying the right messages as well."

The Hornets acquired Schröder and cash from the Cleveland Cavaliers for Tre Mann in a trade that was completed Aug. 20. Mann averaged 5.5 points in 53 games for the Hornets last season.

Charlotte is Schröder's 12th NBA team, one short of the record of 13 held by Ish Smith.

He opened last season in Sacramento and averaged 10.8 points and 4.9 assists in 70 games between the Kings and the Cavaliers. Cleveland acquired him from the Kings in a three-team trade in January along with Keon Ellis, who started for Brooklyn on Wednesday and scored 7 points.

Schröder then played 17 playoff games for Cleveland, including the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Knicks.

He will earn $14.8 million this season. Only $4.35 million of his $15.5 million salary for 2027-28 is guaranteed.

With Germany, he won gold at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and at EuroBasket 2025. He was named MVP of both tournaments.

Charlotte has not reached the playoffs since 2016. The playoffs are Brandon Miller's goal for this team every season, and several of the Hornets' new veterans have been there.

"I think just being the best that they are," Miller said. "They're coaching the young guys in the timeouts, on the court, or wherever they can help. They're always wanting to help. So I think that's good advantage for us."

"Just having guys like that that's been around where we want to be in playoffs, finals," Miller continued. "So just having guys like that, I think we use that to advantage."

Schröder's opener showed both sides of what Charlotte hoped it was getting: a veteran voice and a guard capable of taking over important possessions late.

Atlanta drafted Schröder 17th overall in 2013. He faces the Atlanta Hawks on Friday when Charlotte opens its home schedule at Spectrum Center.