Whether or not they would trade their draft pick was the key storyline revolving around the Portland Trail Blazers entering the 2023 NBA Draft as questions revolve around Damian Lillard's future, but they did not make a massive deal. As a result, Scoot Henderson is the newest member of their roster after being selected with the third overall pick.
An explosive athlete and the best guard prospect in this year's draft, Henderson did not take the traditional college basketball route to the NBA. Instead, he spent the last year playing for the G League Ignite. Already having professional experience and receiving key NBA training, one could put together an argument that Henderson would be the top pick in any other draft class.
Despite having both Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons in their backcourt, as well as 2022 first-round pick Shaedon Sharpe, the Blazers got the best talent on the board with this pick. Scoot should be ready to contribute right away in any role his team needs, though there will be questions now about Lillard's future after not trading the pick.
Here is everything you need to know about the newest member of the Trail Blazers.
Scoot Henderson's Pre-NBA Basketball Career
The second youngest of seven siblings, Henderson was projected to be one of the best players in college basketball as a five-star recruit before he decided to play professionally. Signing a two-year, $1 million deal with the G League Ignite in 2021, Henderson became the youngest player in G League history at 17 years old and instantly made his presence felt due to his speed and athleticism. A confident ball handler who really takes advantage of his opponents in isolation sets, Henderson has drawn comparisons to that of Russell Westbrook and Ja Morant with his ability to get past defenders.
Throughout his time in the G League, Henderson continued to improve not only as a confident ball handler, but as someone who could make plays for others as well. In 19 games this past year, he averaged 16.5 points, 6.8 assists and 5.3 rebounds, showcasing his abilities to impact the game in more ways than one. He also shot 42.9 percent from the floor while taking an average of 14.1 shots per game. Even though he is a guard, Scoot can really play anywhere on the floor and has continued to improve as a perimeter shooter. The numbers may not show it, but he is more than capable of getting hot from three-point range. Like LaMelo Ball when he was entering the league, a lot of people are going to be surprised with this part of Henderson's game.
Scoot Henderson's NBA Draft Fit With Trail Blazers
Next to Damian Lillard, assuming he sticks around, Scoot Henderson will be able to learn from one of the best pure scorers in the league and instantly make the Trail Blazers a more deadly team in transition. After drafting Shaedon Sharpe last year, the Blazers all of a sudden have two young, dynamic players who can really set the pace against any other team in the league. While their backcourt now appears to be jammed with Lillard, Henderson, Simons and Sharpe, Portland has a lot of options for rotations and could even experiment with some three-guard lineups since Sharpe and Henderson are bigger, lengthier guards out on the perimeter.
Perhaps the best part about pairing Henderson with Dame is the fact that the rookie guard will not have to be his team's primary facilitator. This will lead to him becoming more comfortable playing off the ball and cutting down on his overall turnover numbers, which can be a weak spot for him at times because of his high motor. Henderson is a player who will enter the league with a chip on his shoulder since he truly believes he is better than every other prospect in this draft class. This is going to make him even more dangerous than he already is, and Scoot Henderson should instantly be able to help the Trail Blazers go from missing the playoffs to being back in the postseason.
If Lillard asks for a trade a lot of things will change, but no matter what, Henderson will be in a good spot to flourish.
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