Scoot Henderson returned to the court last night for the Portland Trail Blazers. It was the 20-year-old’s first appearance since the All-Star break. Henderson had missed the last eight games with a left adductor strain.
Scoot Henderson plays 26 minutes in return vs. TOR https://t.co/hpE75lryPT
— Rotoworld Basketball (@rotoworld_bk) March 10, 2024
The third overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Henderson came off the bench in his return. In 26 minutes, he scored 13 points on 5-12 shooting to go along with five assists and a steal.
Portland beat the Toronto Raptors in overtime, 128-118, improving their record to 18-45.
Blazers Rookie Returns, Looking to End Season on High Note
The Return of Scoot Henderson
There was a lot of hype around Henderson entering the 2023 NBA Draft. Many believed that, in most years, he would have been the first overall selection. However, last year’s draft had a transcendent player in Victor Wembanyama, which blocked him from having that opportunity.
The Charlotte Hornets owned the second pick and decided to take Brandon Miller over Henderson. Sports pundits debated whether Charlotte would end up regretting that decision. The Hornets have not been good this season, but Miller has shown that he could eventually develop into one of the sport’s better scorers.
While it’s far too early to judge how Henderson’s career will pan out, especially when he just turned 20 on February 3, he hasn’t performed like Blazers fans believed he would.
He has fairly solid averages of 12.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists, but Henderson has been one of the least efficient scorers in the game. He is shooting a dismal 41% on two-point tries and 30.8% from beyond the three-point arc. Henderson is barely shooting over 50% on shots at the rim.
Henderson is the Youngest Player in G-League History
Henderson graduated high school early and decided to forgo college by joining the NBA G-League Ignite. At just 17, he became the youngest player in G-League history.
Last season, in 19 games with the Ignite, Henderson posted averages of 16.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 6.5 assists.
19 Games Remaining for Henderson and Others to End Season Strong
There were no playoff expectations for the Trail Blazers entering the season. That was especially true after they traded franchise icon Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Fans still had a reason for excitement, though. Players such as Henderson, Anfernee Simons, and Shaedon Sharpe are young players that the team wants to develop into key pieces on the next winning Portland teams.
Unfortunately, all three of those players have missed ample time this season. Henderson has not appeared in 19 of Portland’s games. The 24-year-old Simons has been out of action 24 times. The 20-year-old Sharpe has only played in about half of the Trail Blazer’s games (32 of 63). He last played on January 11 as he sustained an abdomen injury that he had surgery on in early February.
It would be great to see these three end the year with play that leaves the fanbase excited for next season. Henderson’s return gives the fans another thing to root for as the days wind down for the 2023-24 season. Portland owns their first-round pick and the Golden State Warriors’ first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
