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 due to left adductor strain.
Scoot Henderson plays 26 minutes in return against TOR https://t.co/hpE75lryPT
– Rotoworld Basketball (@rotoworld_bk) March 10, 2024
The third overall pick 2023 NBA Draft, Henderson came off the bench upon his return. In 26 minutes, he scored 13 points on 5-12 shooting, 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 and looks to end season on a high note
The return of Scoot Henderson
There was a lot of hype surrounding Henderson’s entry into the 2023 NBA Draft. Many believed that in most years he would have been the first overall pick. However, last year’s draft had one transcendent player Victor Wembanyamawhich prevented him from having this opportunity.
The Charlotte Hornets had the second pick and decided to take Brandon Miller on Henderson. Sports experts wondered whether Charlotte would come to regret this decision. The Hornets haven’t been good this season, but Miller showed that he could eventually become one of the sport’s best scorers.
While it’s far too early to judge how Henderson’s career is progressing, especially when he just turned 20 on Feb. 3, he hasn’t played like Blazers fans thought he would.
He has pretty 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 shoots a dismal 41% on two-point attempts 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 from high school early and decided to forgo college by joining the NBA G-League Ignite. At just 17 years old, he became the youngest player in G-League history.
Last season, in 19 games with the Ignite, Henderson averaged 16.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.5 assists.
19 games remaining for Henderson and others to finish the season strong
There were no playoff expectations for the Trail Blazers entering the season. This was especially true after trading the franchise icon Damien Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Fans still had reason to get excited, however. Players like Henderson, Anfernée SimonsAnd Shaedon Sharpe are young players the team wants to develop into key pieces on Portland’s next winning teams.
Unfortunately, these three players have missed significant time this season. Henderson did not appear in 19 games for Portland. Simons, 24, has been out 24 times. Sharpe, 20, only played in about half of the Trail Blazer’s games (32 of 63). He last played on January 11 after suffering an abdominal injury which was operated on in early February.
It would be great to see these three finish the year with a game that leaves fans excited for next season. Henderson’s return gives fans another thing to rely on as the days wind down for the 2023-24 season. Portland owns its first-round pick and the Golden State Warriors’ first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Post Views: 1
