Through the missed shots, turnovers and losses, Portland Trail Blazers rookie guard Scoot Henderson often maintains his composure. Through the highlight reels that showcase his superb playmaking and athleticism, Henderson often stays humble.
“Sometimes he plays really good and sometimes he struggles. It’s kind of been a roller coaster,” Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. “But, man, I’ve been so impressed on how he hasn’t let his tough nights bother him that much.”
The Blazers’ No. 3 draft pick has yet to dramatically change the franchise’s fortunes after trading Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks this past offseason.
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Portland (6-19) sits in 14th place in the Western Conference with a seven-game losing streak amid overlapping injuries to veteran point guard Malcolm Brogdon (left hamstring), forward Jerami Grant (concussion) and center Deandre Ayton (right knee). The Blazers enter Tuesday’s game against the Phoenix Suns (14-12) with Henderson averaging 11.1 points while shooting low from the field (37.1%) and from 3-point range (24.2%) along with nearly as many turnovers (3.3) as assists per game (4.5). And Henderson has played more games as a reserve (10) than as a starter (five).
Fair to say he won’t be the favorite to win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award. In his rookie class, Henderson currently ranks fifth in points per game and second for most turnovers per game. Yet, the Blazers have become encouraged with Henderson for other reasons. He fares second in assists per game. The Blazers have lost nine of their 19 games within single digits, which suggests Portland will win those games eventually with more experience. More importantly, the Blazers believe Henderson’s intangibles will project his trajectory more accurately than both his numbers and the team’s record.
“There are going to be points in my career where I’m going to be striving. In my mind, I’m going to be on top of the world,” Henderson said. “Right now I’m going through the first year and first couple of games. I’m just developing every single day.”
Why Portland believes Henderson will become a special player
Henderson’s mindset partly convinced the Blazers to select him in the first place.
Portland believed Henderson would develop more maturely after spending two seasons with the G League Ignite where he played with and against both former NBA and G League players without the practice restrictions that prospects face in the NCAA. Before the NBA Draft, G League Ignite coach Jason Hart predicted to Sportsnaut that Henderson is “going to have a special career” because of his humble demeanor and disciplined work ethic. Hart downplayed Henderson’s shooting struggles because of his disciplined shooting workouts. Hart also observed that Henderson possessed Derrick Rose’s speed and Jason Kidd’s game management.
Nonetheless, Billups conceded uncertainty on how Henderson would fare in his rookie debut. Not only would Henderson face immediate pressure on how he could ease the Blazers’ transition from Lillard, who guided Portland to eight consecutive playoff appearances (2014-2021) as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer (19,376 points). Henderson would also match up against Clippers guard Russell Westbrook, who became one of his idols.
Billups, whom the Boston Celtics selected at No. 3 in 1997, remembered the nerves he faced with facing off against a certain former Chicago Bulls star (Michael Jordan) in his rookie debut. Still, Billups didn’t start until his third game and he wasn’t expected to carry the franchise.
“It’s tough for a 19-year-old to handle. I’ve been in his shoes before, but as a 21-year-old when I was a rookie struggling in the first half of the season,” Billups said. “I’m able to offer him help where most people in this world can’t. But there are very few people in this world that have been Scoot.”
Henderson offered the opposite of any highlight reels in his rookie debut. He recorded 11 points, missed all three of his 3-point attempts and recorded as many turnovers and assists (four). During and after the game, however, Henderson impressed the Blazers with how he reacted to adversity.
Henderson blamed himself for not playing aggressively enough amid his hope to set up his teammates. Henderson sounded enthusiastic about studying the game footage so he could diagnose what caused his turnovers, and determine how to fix them. Henderson stressed his poor play had nothing to do with nerves. Fitting that Henderson’s parents, Chris and Crystal, own a gym called “NextPlay360,” which focuses on underrepresented students in his hometown (Cobb County, Ga). That slogan also symbolizes how Henderson plays.
“The work is going to show,” Henderson said. “I keep my faith in God and keep my faith in the work I put in.”
That faith shaped Henderson for handling a nine-game absence after spraining his right ankle and for when Billups assigned Henderson a bench role once he returned. Billups maintained the move had nothing to do with Henderson’s struggles. It had more to do with easing Henderson’s workload following his absence and to give the Blazers a strategic advantage.
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“It allows him to kind of watch the early part of the game and see what I need,” Billups said. “That’s what I’ve been trying to preach to him and tell him the advantage of coming off of the bench is to see what our team needs at the time as opposed to starting the game. Then you can come and bring what you need.”
Henderson hardly complained about the new role. Instead, he embraced it.
Jermaine Sellers, Henderson’s high school coach at Kell High in Marietta, Ga, once told him “that coming off the bench is harder than starting because you have to mask the intensity of the other team and you have to mask the intensity of someone you just subbed out.” Henderson has matched that intensity.
Henderson has averaged 12.4 points on 38.6% shooting from the field and 31.1% from 3 along with 4.2 assists and 2.7 turnovers, marking a relative improvement from how he performed in five games as a starter. Then, Henderson averaged 8.8 points while shooting 34.5% from the field and 9.5% from 3 along with 4.6 assists and 4.0 turnovers per game. Henderson has also cracked double figures in six of seven games in December.
Henderson has made little of those improved numbers only because he professes to care more about the Blazers’ bottom-line results. Nonetheless, the Blazers and Henderson attribute his growth to ongoing improvement with playmaking and shooting at a more controlled pace while still operating at a fast speed.
“Things are going to happen,” Henderson said. “I can’t really overreact.”
Eventually, the Blazers and the Henderson can’t stay patient.
Consider that the NBA’s past No. 3 pick include one of the league’s best all-time players (Jordan), the ninth-best scorer in NBA history (Carmelo Anthony) two regular-season MVPs (James Harden, Joel Embiid) and three young stars (Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum Jaylen Brown). Jordan (29.3 points, 8.5 assists), Anthony (21 points) and Embiid (20.2) made an immediate impact their rookie seasons, while Tatum (13.9), Harden (9.9) and Brown (6.6) took time to develop.
For now, the Blazers have seen plenty to suggest that Henderson will blossom well.
“He has a maturity about him that’s impressive,” Billups said of Henderson. “He’s going to be a great, great player in this league.”
Mark Medina is an NBA insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on X, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.