Scoot Henderson would soon make a first impression, and Efe Abogidi feared it wouldn’t be a good one.
Henderson had already played one season with the NBA G League Ignite after already graduating a year early from Kell High School in Marietta, Ga. to become the youngest player in U.S. history to play professional basketball. So when G League Ignite hosted a pre-draft party last summer for an Australian prospect (Dyson Daniels), the former Washington State freshman (Abogidi) figured he’d meet a cocky player consumed with his own hype.
Instead, Abogidi witnessed something more pleasant than even watching one of Henderson’s highlight reels. Henderson made Abogidi feel welcome and expressed appreciation for soon becoming his teammate.
“He’s one of a kind. He’s very, very humble,” Abogidi told Sportsnaut. “You ask anybody about Scoot, and they would tell that you he’s very, very humble.”
Those that have watched Henderson would also tell you that he’s very, very talented.
With less than a week before the NBA Draft (Thursday), various mock drafts currently projected that Henderson will either land at No. 2 (Charlotte Hornets) or at No. 3 (Portland Trail Blazers). One NBA executive called Henderson the “best guard in the draft” because of his speed, athleticism and playmaking. Ryan Blake, a longtime NBA consultant, projected that Henderson could eventually mirror how Kyrie Irving has blended his scoring and facilitating.
“I know he’s going to have a special career. He has the work ethic to back it up,” G League Ignite coach Jason Hart told Sportsnaut. “He’s a very good kid. He was raised well from his parents. He’s going to do well because he knows where he’s going in his life.”
‘I expect him to hit the ground running’
Scoot Henderson may not know exactly where he will go next. Not only does it seem possible that either Charlotte or Portland will select him, another team may trade up to acquire that pick in hopes to secure Henderson. And why not?
Henderson posted promising numbers with G League Ignite in his first season (14.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists) and second season (16.5 points, 6.8 assists, 5.3 rebounds). Unlike other prospects that played in the NCAA, Henderson played with and against both future draft-eligible prospects and established professionals. Henderson also faced zero time restrictions with training.
During those two years, Hart observed that Henderson showed a mix of Derrick Rose’s speed and Jason Kidd’s game management. G League Ignite president Shareef Abdur-Rahim likened Henderson to a combination of Rose and Russell Westbrook for their speed, Steve Francis for his decision making and Stephon Marbury for his scoring and playmaking.
“He’s going to be a special, special talent,” Abdur-Rahim told Sportsnaut. “He can contribute with winning, and he can have a positive impact on the culture. All young players are going to have adjustments, and there are going to be bumpy times. But I expect him to manage all of that really well. I expect him to hit the ground running.”
Just like during their first interaction at a pre-draft party, Abogidi expects Henderson will hit the ground running without compromising his humble attitude and his disciplined work ethic.
“He doesn’t lead with how he’s saying stuff,” Abogidi said. “His actions show more than what he says.”
Just like with how Scoot Henderson made Abogidi feel welcome at G League Ignite’s pre-draft party, Henderson gave G League Ignite officials the same positive impression upon arrival. Abdur-Rahim outlined that “we had the intent to bring him along slowly” in hopes to relieve pressure and allow him to grow organically. As Abdur-Rahim conceded about Henderson, “he was gangbusters.”
One of the reasons? Hart said that Henderson followed the same routine on every non-game day. That entailed a morning workout, a weight-lifting session, practice and then another individual workout. Henderson’s day-to-day regimen mirrored Groundhog’s Day. Yet, not only did Henderson show consistent work habits, he also focused on using the actual practice time to improve his game instead of just a means to show off his hustle.
How Scoot Henderson earned teammates’ trust, admiration
After primarily focusing his first season on game reps, Henderson focused his second season on determining when to look for his shot and when to involve others. Hart observed that Henderson looked to score when G League Ignite struggled. Otherwise, Henderson strived to create a balanced attack.
“If you do that five days a week for two years straight, you’re going to get yourself called very high in the draft,” Hart said. “Granted, he’s very talented. With his talent and his work ethic, that’s when he becomes combustible.”
That approach earned Scoot Henderson capital among his teammates. He willingly shared ball-handling duties with Daniels, thriving in both roles as a point guard (scoring, passing) and with moving off the ball (screening, cutting). Henderson encouraged Abogidi when he missed shots or needed help with drills. And Abdur-Rahim said Henderson tried to bring his teammates on a private jet to NBA All-Star weekend to watch him compete in the Rising Stars Challenge, an effort that didn’t happen only because G League declined the request.
Though Henderson empowered his teammates by sharing the ball and lifting their confidence, he also challenged them with his intense competitiveness in practice drills and scrimmages.
“I’ve trained with a couple of NBA players. It doesn’t feel the same as training with Scoot,” Abogidi said. “Look, they’re all great. Don’t get me wrong. But when Scoot gets into the NBA, he’s going to be a beast.”
G League Ignite received an early glimpse during its exhibition game last October in Las Vegas against Metropolitans 92, a professional team in France that features Victor Wembanyama, the NBA’s expected No. 1 pick.
The 7-foot-3 Wembanyama posted 37 points while shooting 11-for-20 from the field and 7-for-11 from 3-point range along with five blocks. Henderson, though, led G League Ignite to a 122-115 win by scoring 28 points on 11-for-21 shooting. He also made a 3 and a reverse layup over Wembanyama.
“Victor is talented, but Scoot outplayed Victor that game because we won,” Hart said. “Point guards are like quarterbacks. Their job is to go out and win games. For him to be 18 and have the whole NBA in Las Vegas watching that game, it showed he can rise to the level when everybody is watching.”
Having to overcome his injuries
Scoot Henderson hasn’t always risen to the occasion.
He played only five minutes in G League Ignite’s second game against Metropolitans 92 after suffering a bone bruise in his right knee following a collision with Wembanyama. Henderson also suffered a handful of injuries his second season, including an ankle, nasal fracture and two separate concussions.
With G League Ignite shutting Scoot Henderson down in late March, he has since fully healed from those injuries. But he will have to show he can shoot better than he did in his first season (21.6% from 3 ) and second season (42.9% overall, 27.5% from 3). Those numbers could minimize a players’ ceiling in a league that puts an extra premium on guards that can make an outside shot.
Nonetheless, Abdur-Rahim, Hart and Abogidi downplayed those numbers because of Henderson’s day-to-day discipline to improve them. They also noted that Henderson has spent the offseason training with Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and his personal trainer, Brandon Payne.
“Being in the gym with Steph, he’s going to get better,” Abdur-Rahim said. “His shot is really clean. He’s a good free-throw shooter. He’s a worker. We know he’s going to get better. On draft day, I haven’t seen any perfect players. But I know he’s a worker. I know that he’s got some humility to him.”
Talent evaluators believe the same thing. One NBA executive predicted that Henderson’s shooting will “get respectable” because he’s “a gym rat.” Blake sensed, “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem” for the same reasons. Both also argued that Henderson will mostly thrive in the open court both with attacking the rim and playmaking. That’s why Hart often tells Henderson that he played with former Spurs guard Tony Parker, who will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in August because his scoring (15.5 points) and playmaking (5.6 assists) trumped his poor 3-point shooting (32.4%).
“He’s going to continue to get better. I haven’t seen one 19-year-old that has everything,” Hart said. “I remind Scoot that he’s Scoot and that he’s not Steph Curry or Dame Lillard. Become the best version of yourself.’”
Scoot Henderson has so far, leaving G League Ignite equally impressed with his talent, work ethic and humble demeanor.
“It’s pretty rare to see someone at 18 come in and do what grown men are doing and doing it even better than grown men,” Abogidi said. “That’s something I admire about Scoot.”
Mark Medina is an NBA Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter and on Instagram.