The Portland Trail Blazers crushed the Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia 76ers 130-104 on Monday night in a game that featured a monster 20-point fourth quarter from rookie guard Scoot Henderson.

After a game in which Henderson went 3-4 from the 3-point line, Blazers coach Chauncey Billups talked about the misconception that Henderson isn't a good shooter:

Said Billups on the Blazers rookie, “He's come a long way. More than anything, the confidence has come a long way too. And like any shooter…see this is one of the things that, when you get a guy like Scoot, most people think he can't shoot. When he has an off night, they act like he just can't shoot, but it's just not true. But there are great shooters in the league, Steph Curry…I mean, Malcolm [Brogdon] and Jerami [Grant] last night both go 1-6, ‘Oh, it's just a bad night.' Scoot goes 1-6, it's like ‘Oh man, kid can't [shoot].'

It's just not right. You know, the kid works on his shot all the time. People go under, I say ‘shoot it.'  And he's become a much better shooter. His confidence is there. I just want him to get his feet set and be on balance. I got no problem at all with it.”

Henderson's improved shooting over the course of the Blazers season backs up what Billups is saying. In Henderson's first 12 games, through Dec. 8, Scoot shot 18 percent from the 3-point line. Since then, in more than twice the sample size, the Blazers rookie is shooting the 3-pointer at a 37 percent clip.

Billups and the Blazers have done a good job reducing the pressure around Henderson this season. Moving him to a bench role has done wonders for lowering the temperature of the national discourse around Scoot's performance. But those of us that are watching the games night-in and night-out see the continued improvement.

Henderson still has areas where he needs to show substantial improvement. Finishing around the rim, picking up excessive fouls, and turnovers continue to be problems in stretches. But these are all normal things that rookie point guards struggle with.

In the meantime, the perception is still lingering that Henderson can't shoot from the outside. But as Billups, and the data, show – it's not true.