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The NBA Draft Lottery is right around the corner. In less than two weeks — May 16th, to be exact — teams who missed out on the postseason will figure out which of the top-14 picks belong to them. It's a time of great excitement but also anxiety for these organizations, as teams' futures can ride on ping-pong balls.
For the Houston Rockets, they have a great shot at landing the number one overall pick in the draft. The team finished with a 22-60 record during the regular season, the second-worst record in the NBA, so they have a 14.0% chance to land the top pick. Houston's 14.0% odds are tied with the San Antonio Spurs and the Detroit Pistons for the best odds of any team.
If lady luck is on the Rockets' side in a few weeks, and they end up with the number-one pick, they should select French sensation Victor Wembanyama. Offensively, he's a seven-footer with guard-like ball-handling and perimeter-shooting ability. And on the other side of the ball, Wembanyama has a terrific knack for blocking shots. At this juncture, Wembanyama stands out as the clear-cut top prospect in the 2023 draft class.
But, after all, Houston's chances of getting the number-one pick are still relatively low. It's more likely that they stay at the number-two slot. And if they do, the Rockets should select the best player available, and that's, without a doubt, Scoot Henderson. The 6'2″ guard starred with the G-League Ignite this season and showed off a unique skill set.
When watching Henderson play, it's his athleticism that jumps off of the screen first and foremost. Henderson can jump out of the gym and is capable of throwing down poster dunks on anyone who's audacious enough to stand in his way of the basket. But Henderson isn't just athletic in the sense that he's springy — he's also incredibly quick, a combination that makes him a nightmare to defend in the open court. It's likely that Henderson will enter the NBA as already one of the best and most dynamic transition scorers in the league.
But Scoot Henderson provides a lot more on the offensive end of the floor than just athletic finishes at the rim. He's also a very capable and unselfish facilitator, as evidenced by his 6.8 assists per game average with the Ignite this season. Henderson certainly has room to improve as a decision-maker with the ball, considering he was a bit turnover prone with the Ignite (3.5 turnovers per game in 2022-23). Still, he projects to be, at the very least, a plus playmaker at the next level.
The thought of a Scoot Henderson and Jalen Green backcourt should have Rockets fans drooling. This duo would have the chance to be one of the best backcourt duos on the offensive side of the ball for many years to come. Not many teams can say they have two guards in their starting lineup who can each score 20-plus points on any given night.
Here's to hoping that the Houston Rockets strike gold in the NBA Draft Lottery a few weeks from now and get the opportunity to choose Victor Wembanyama with the number one pick. But if they don't, Scoot Henderson would be one of the better consolation prizes in NBA history and would help the Rockets win some games next season.
