A not-hard-to-imagine alternate timeline exists in which Dennis Schröder never left the Lakers after the 2020-21 season. In fact, it’s probably a sliding doors moment for the franchise considering everything that has transpired since Schröder may or may not have turned down a lucrative extension with the franchise.
After a fruitful season together, the two parted ways and neither has reached the heights of that season again, albeit within a short time span. This season offered the chance at a reunion and hopes to find that spark again.
But this wasn’t the same Lakers nor was it the same Schröder.