Since he was taken by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2023 NBA Draft, Scoot Henderson has been placed in a difficult position. He was bombarded with Damian Lillard trade questions upon his arrival to the NBA, which took the focus away from his ample promise. Now, it is on him to bring the franchise back into relevancy, with Lillard comparisons bound to follow. But he is embracing that responsibility with the Blazers.

Moreover, there are multiple stars who believe he is capable of handling it, including one who endured his own share of organizational uncertainty in the early part of his career.

“Watched him when he was in the G League,” Devin Booker said of Henderson, per Kellan Olson of Empire of the Suns and Arizona Sports. “I think he's going to be really good. Obviously we all have some things to learn, but it looks like he loves the game, has a high IQ for it, a body built for [it] and his athleticism is off the charts.”

In Booker's first four years, the Phoenix Suns did not win 25 games in a single season. He stayed the course, came into his own and was an integral part of an NBA Finals squad. The Blazers do not inspire quite the same amount of confidence, but the organization has assembled a promising roster for Henderson to eventually lead.

Just as Booker alluded to, the No. 3 overall pick seems to have a good head on his shoulders. Henderson says all the right things and is putting in the work to become an impactful guard at the next level. There are concerns about his perimeter shooting and height (6-foot-2), but he has definite All-Star potential.

If Scoot Henderson fulfills that potential and validates Devin Booker's vote of confidence, then Portland could once again make legitimate headway in the Western Conference. The 19-year-old sees his first bit of official NBA action when the Blazers open up their season on Wednesday, Oct. 25 at the Los Angeles Clippers.