When the Portland Trail Blazers drafted Scoot Henderson, everyone had imagined that he would be the starting point guard. Then Damian Lillard was traded and it became more evident that Henderson would be a key part of the Blazers future. After some early-season struggles, Scoot Henderson has found a role coming off the bench in the Blazers system.
Henderson was lighting it up in the G-League and was drafted with the No. 3 overall pick. While some thought he may go in the top two. After his poor start to the season and an injury early in the season, the Blazers stumbled upon a physical ailment. The 19-year-old needed contact lenses, to which the sports goggles have been added as added as a safety feature.
Since his return Henderson has come off the bench where he has averaged 11.9 points, 4.4 assists and 2.7 rebounds. His shooting clips have seen a big improvement as well, especially his three-point field goal percentage which went from .095 to .315. Scoot Henderson has put forth some incredible performances off the Blazers bench.
There’s no timetable as to when he may return to the starting lineup. Having the younger guards such as Henderson, Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe learn from a veteran like Malcolm Brogdon. However, with the trade deadline coming on Feb. 8, there’s a chance that Brogdon could be swooped by a team in the playoff hunt. Even then, one of the Blazers young guards might be coming off the bench.
Before the season started, Henderson had promised he would win the Rookie of the Year title. While he still has a chance it’s going to be a tall task. According to the latest ladder on NBA.com, he’s currently ranked 10 among all rookies. It appears that OKC’s Chet Holmgren is running away with the award. However, Henderson still has his eyes set on it and thinks that he can win:
“Trying to get Rookie of the Year, that’s still my goal,” Henderson told CBS Sports after the Blazers’ 126-106 loss to the Warriors on Saturday. “That’s still up in the air, I think.”
Following his 17-point, 11-assist performance against the Kings on Dec. 26. Henderson received praise from Blazers coach Chauncey Billups.
“I thought Scoot was incredible. I really did. I thought he was incredible. Just his pace, his tempo, attacking the basket. He played with ferocity tonight, which is what I’m always on him [about]. I’m always on him. ‘Scoot you should be playing fast. Be athletic. I’ll live with the mistakes, just play aggressive.’ And man, I thought he was phenomenal out there tonight. On both ends of the floor too. I thought his decision-making was really good. Really sound. Boy, he gave us a big lift. He really did, he gave us a huge lift.”
If the Blazers see this version of Scoot Henderson for an extended period, then he’ll likely calm the online discourse from those who were quick to call him a bust. For now, though, seeing Henderson excel in a bench role should be rewarding for the Blazers fans.
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