There are still over two months until the start of the 2023-24 NBA season. However, the new season cannot come around soon enough for Portland Trail Blazers rookie Scoot Henderson, as he is ready to put his talents on display for the entire NBA world.
Taken third overall by the Blazers this offseason, Henderson enters his rookie season with high expectations after being the first guard selected in the 2023 NBA Draft. Thought by many to be the first pick in any other draft, Scoot may very well get his chance to lead Portland this season with trade rumors surrounding Damian Lillard continuing to circulate.
Obviously winning matters to every player, but it is the Rookie of the Year award that is always on every first-year talent's mind. Right now, Henderson is no exception to this mindset, as he has made it very clear that he will not only be in the running for this award, but that he will win it when all is said and done.
“I will win Rookie of the Year,” Henderson said in an interview with Playmaker. “That's just a mindset of a manifestation that I kind of grew. Never doubted myself, making sure I'm always playing good, make sure I'm telling myself ‘I'm gonna have a great rookie season.' I'm not saying I want to have a great rookie season, I'm gonna have a great rookie season. I'm gonna have a great career. I will have a great career and making sure that's always in just past tense because it happened.”
The confidence Henderson has in himself will obviously be reflected in his game on the floor, but the 2023-24 Rookie of the Year race is going to be a very intriguing one. Scoot is not the favorite to win this award, though, as San Antonio Spurs top overall pick Victor Wembanyama leads the pack and has the attention of the entire NBA world.
Wembanyama is the most hyped up draft prospect to enter the league since LeBron James in 2003 and he has a real chance to bring the Spurs back to their glory days of being a perennial championship contender. He's obviously the favorite for Rookie of the Year since he is the incoming first overall pick, but others such as Oklahoma City Thunder's Chet Holmgren, Ausar Thompson from the Detroit Pistons and Amen Thompson from the Houston Rockets will also look to be involved in this race.
Assuming Henderson is the lead guard for the Blazers, he will have a chance to leave his mark on the 2023-24 NBA season. His role, however, is not clear and will not be solidified until a decision is made on what Portland's roster will look like.
Scoot Henderson's role amid Damian Lillard rumors
Lillard's future with the Blazers continues to be the main topic of discussion this NBA offseason. Should he stay with Portland through the remainder of the offseason, the key questions become whether or not he will play and possibly be moved before the trade deadline.
In regards to Henderson and his role with the team, Lillard not being traded before training camp really lessens his chances to win the Rookie of the Year award. Obviously having the seven-time All-Star in his corner and being able to learn from him would work wonders for Henderson's mindset and understanding of the game during his rookie year. The fact of the matter, though, is that the Trail Blazers already have a very crowded backcourt.
Anfernee Simons holds a big role for Portland and he will become of even more importance should Lillard be dealt. Second-year shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe is also expected to see his role increase drastically after some stellar performances during Summer League and at the end of the 2022-23 season. While he is not a guard, veteran forward Jerami Grant also re-signed on a new five-year, $160 million contract in free agency, so he is not going to be accepting a lesser role either.
Compared to Wembanyama, who is going to be the focal point from the very first game of the season for the Spurs, Henderson is not going to be utilized as his team's top option right away. He will have his opportunities and he will have big games either in or out of the starting lineup over the course of his rookie year, but Scoot's role with the Blazers right now reflects that of a sixth man in today's league.
His opportunities will be limited, as will his minutes, which is why the team may wind up holding Henderson back from winning the Rookie of the Year award.
Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren and others in the race
Wembanyama can score from anywhere on the floor, he's a crafty ball-handler at 7'4, he can find his open teammates as the lead facilitator on his team and defensively, the Spurs rookie is going to be a Defensive Player of the Year candidate one day. This is why Wemby is the favorite to win this upcoming season's Rookie of the Year race.
As long as he stays healthy, this award is his to lose despite Holmgren also being a “rookie” even though he sat out the entirety of the 2022-23 season. We have seen players sit out their first year in the league before and go on to win the Rookie of the Year award, as this most recently happened with Ben Simmons claiming the award over Donovan Mitchell in 2018.
While he has not played a game yet, Holmgren has been working on his craft with NBA talents every single day and he has had a full year of learning how to get his body right as a professional athlete. This immediately sets him a part from other rookies entering the league and this full year of experience should not go unnoticed. Chet is not going to play like, nor look like, a rookie during his “first” NBA season and he is immediately going to elevate the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Ausar and Amen Thompson will also have something to say about this year's Rookie of the Year race as well even though their roles are also undefined inching closer to training camp.
With the Pistons, Ausar will fill multiple needs his franchise has and due to his ability to play virtually any position, Thompson should establish himself as a clear-cut No. 2 option next to Cade Cunningham. Even though the Houston Rockets added a lot of backcourt help this offseason, Amen Thompson also figures to hold a key role for his team due to his two-way play. He can be productive with or without the ball in his hands and Thompson's length will make him an instant source of positivity for Ime Udoka's young squad.
Of course, it is way too early to rule anyone out of this year's race for Rookie of the Year, as injuries and team success, or lack of there of, will ultimately help determine the outcome. For Scoot Henderson though, it will be awfully tough for him to reach his full potential right away in Portland. Simons, Sharpe and Grant will all see more minutes and opportunities over him this upcoming season and as already mentioned, there is still no telling how Lillard's situation will play out.
If he stays, Scoot will be even more limited than he already appears to be. Should the team trade Lillard, who knows what type of players will come back to Portland, resulting in the rookie's role changing again. Henderson's confidence in himself and his comments are obviously what the Blazers want to see and hear, but realistically, him winning the Rookie of the Year award is a little far-fetched at this time.
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