'I always come off screens and don't look to attack': Schroder on being more aggressive vs. Celtics

Toronto Raptors guard Dennis Schroder discusses the loss to the Celtics, pursuing more drives to the rim vs. Boston after watching film and the in-season tournament.

Video Transcript

- OK, Dennis. How did the first in-season tournament game feel now that it's done?

DENNIS SCHRODER: All right. We lost the game. But at the end of the day, I think it's a-- it's a good thing for the league, for a special kind of like a playoff game. And looking forward to the other ones.

- What did you see out there tonight from your team? I mean, it was a close game, obviously. You know, deficit in the second. Came back in the third. What was it like out there?

DENNIS SCHRODER: I mean, the first-- first half hurt us. If we, you know, can find a way to play for 48 minutes, and make sure we come out the right way in the first half or first quarter, that's going to help us a lot. So we got to find a way, you know, to be ready beginning of the game. I think second halves, we always do a great job of competing and bringing the energy. But we got to find a way in the first half to bring it.

- How-- how tough was it with Pascal playing as well, as he played at the start the game and obviously ended up finishing the game? How tough was it to be without him for a big chunk of that first half?

DENNIS SCHRODER: Hurt us, for sure. He's one of the key players here, you know. And he made big time plays. And I mean, to not have him on the court, it hurt us. But at the end of the day, it's always the next man up mentality. And people who come in off the bench got to be ready, same as the starters, you know. When we start the game, we got to be ready and bring it from the start.

- Dennis, that last possession there, I guess, was I think about 25 seconds left before Scottie got fouled. What was-- it kind of looked like a little bit of a confusing--

DENNIS SCHRODER: I can't even remember, to be honest with you. Yeah.

- What changed in the second half for you guys, aside from getting Siakam back?

DENNIS SCHRODER: Just playing with a lot of effort, you know, as a team, on the offensive end, sharing the ball, putting pressure on rim, getting to the-- getting to the paint, and then make great decisions, you know. And I think that's where we're at our best, when we play fast and get stops and won.

- I know you put a lot of work into your shot. How good is it feeling right now?

DENNIS SCHRODER: I mean, I was struggling the last couple of games. But at the end of the day, we worked so hard. Everybody in this locker room works so hard every single day. So when we're open, we let it fly. And we live with the results.

- How much are you able to control mismatches? A few times you had to rotate onto Porzingis, you know. How do you prevent that? Is that a conversation you've had with your teammates or coach?

DENNIS SCHRODER: I mean, shots from the elbow, from the free throw line are heavily contested. If he makes 20 of them, congrats.

- Dennis, you and Jak have successfully closed empty side pick and rolls in the second half. What were you seeing that helped create those advantages?

DENNIS SCHRODER: With Siakam?

- You and Jak.

DENNIS SCHRODER: Oh, Young. I mean, with me it's just pushing the ball, being aggressive off the pick and rolls. I watch a lot of film. And I always come off screens and don't look to attack. And I think it's not helping the group. And I think I've just got to be, you know, the first two dribbles off the pick and roll, I've got to be aggressive, make a decision, find my teammates, putting pressure on the rim. And I think today was a good example of it. But we still got to get better.

- How much does the-- the seal that Jak gets on those screens-- how imperative is that? You guys have developed that chemistry over the past, obviously since training camp.

DENNIS SCHRODER: Yeah. I mean, he's a good screen and roller, you know. And he gets me open. And like I said, I got to be aggressive because I'm open, you know. Right after the screen, I got to be there a lot more effective. And when he rolls, I got to find him at the same time. So it's been great. But we got a lot of work to do still.

- Work on the floaters. That's fine.

DENNIS SCHRODER: Yeah, floaters. I mean, I had one late in the game. I've got to keep working on that.