Warriors coach happy to add player who beat him all over the world

Kerr strongly suggested that Schroder, acquired last week from the Brooklyn Nets, would start in the backcourt alongside Steph Curry, though he hadn't yet made a final decision. Kerr did share what he told his new guard in a phone conversation.

"I told Dennis he kicked my a-- on three continents," Kerr told reporters, referring to his recent battles with Schroder in the NBA and during international play. Schroder led Team Germany to an upset of Team USA in the FIBA World Cup quarterfinals in the Philippines. Schroder was named MVP as his team won gold.

In a warmup to the Olympics, Team USA squeaked past Germany, 92-88 in London, but Schroder has 13 points and 10 assists in the game. He didn't play against Kerr in the Olympics, as Germany lost to France in the semifinals, but Schroder was named to the "All-Star Five" for the Games, alongside Curry.

In 2023, the Warriors never left California in the playoffs. They defeated the Sacramento Kings, then fell to Schroder's Los Angeles Lakers. Recently, Schroder's Brooklyn Nets upset the Warriors in San Francisco, his third continent of tormenting Kerr, with Schroder putting up 17 points in the fourth quarter.

Schroder can score, play pick-and-roll and defend, all elements that the Warriors have been lacking. That's because last year's first-team All-Rookie guard, Brandin Podziemski, is shooting 25 percent from three-point range. The Warriors have a miserable offensive rating of 102 points per 100 possessions when Podziemski is on the court without Curry (it's 113.3 overall), so regardless of who starts, expect Kerr to stagger Schroder and Curry's minutes to keep one of them on the floor at all times.

The Warriors' new addition is only signed through this season, but he could be an excellent fit going forward. The big question is whether the NBA is considering scheduling the Warriors for future games in South America, Africa or Australia. If so, Schroder might not be able to resist the chance to kick Kerr's butt on a fourth continent.