There are two sides of a coin. Heads or tails. Sweet or salty. Yin or Yang. Scoot Henderson‘s shortcomings are his fault, or they’re the Blazers’.
Blazer fans currently land on one side of this coin.
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After an uninspiring rookie campaign, Henderson came into year two with a metric ton to prove, still carrying the weight of being the No. 3 overall pick and the catalyst for Portland’s all-time leading scorer requesting a trade.
So far this season, it’s safe to say that fans are not pleased with what they’ve seen.
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So which is it? Is Scoot just a bust waiting to be proclaimed, or have the Blazers failed him and impeded his development?
Should Scoot Henderson start?
Trying to find a way for Henderson and Anfernee Simons to work together has proved challenging for Chauncey Billups. Neither of the two have looked like the best version of themselves. One line of thinking is that if Simons were gone — meaning Scoot would be inserted into the starting role and handed the keys to the offense — it would allow Henderson to play free, unlocking his potential.
Scoot plays 25.6 minutes per game compared to Simons’ 30.9. While Anfernee gets more time with the starters, Scoot still overlaps time with many of the Blazers’ best players, including Deni Avdija, who also comes off the bench, and Dalano Banton, who has the best offensive and net rating on the team.
Scoot’s usage rate of 21.7% is just a step behind Simons’ 24.3% and puts him fourth among the team’s rotation players, ahead of veterans Avdija, Jerami Grant and Deandre Ayton. He’s also in step with Simons regarding average seconds per touch—the two point guards lead the team in that category. Scoot is on the court frequently and gets opportunities to produce.
He’s just not taking advantage of them.
Chauncey’s soul-sucking scheme
Almost every Blazer has been playing below their pay grade on offense this season.
Grant is having, by far, his worst season in a Blazer uniform. Simons and Shaedon Sharpe have been inconsistent at best. Portland has one of the worst half-court offenses in the league. That comes mainly from a lack of off-ball creation and reliance on players to create for themselves using simple dribble handoffs and top-of-the-key screens.
So Scoot has an uphill battle for a second-year player trying to overcome a heap of struggles on that side of the ball. However, how the offense is designed should play into Scoot’s strengths. Scoot’s draft profile notes his aggression in attacking the rim. Pair that with his highly-touted athleticism, and you should get a tenacious and effective scorer at the hoop.
Simply put, though, Scoot is neither aggressive in attacking the rim nor effective at scoring when he gets there. The athleticism that was promised has been diminishing over time. Not only is he inept in drives against rim protectors, but even smaller guards can deflect his layups. Last season, his field goal percentage at the rim was a glaring issue. This season, he still only scores 43% of his attempts at that spot, which puts him at the sixth percentile in the league.
While it’s no secret that the Blazers can’t shoot threes or create a high volume of open catch-and-shoot opportunities, neither is Scoot’s game. He should drive and kick to create those shots, not depending on them for production.
Pre-draft problems persist
On top of being unable to succeed at what he should be good at, Scoot is still struggling with what the world knew his issues at this level would be. His three-point shooting percentage has decreased from 32% last year to 28% this year. His 1.82 assist-to-turnover ratio is slightly better, but he still leads the team in turnovers.
And all of the aforementioned talking points don’t even address his defense, which Blazer fans seemingly never mention. On that side of the ball, he consistently looks lost. Screens take him out of plays almost instantly.
As an off-ball defender, Scoot constantly loses his man. His length allows him to stay in front of his opponent to some extent, but Scoot doesn’t even crack the top five in terms of production and excitement regarding lengthy Blazer defenders. He’s currently dead last on the team in defensive rating.
How can Scoot Henderson be fixed?
Scoot is a solid pick-and-roll player when paired with a solid pick-and-roll center.
Spending more time initiating the offense with either Donovan Clingan or Robert Williams, the Blazers’ better two pick-and-roll centers, could establish a rhythm and restore Scoot’s confidence one screen at a time.
Scoot also is, or at least should be, one of the fastest players on the team. Chauncey has lauded Deni Avdija’s ability to push the ball in transition, and Scoot should try to mimic Deni in that way.
Pushing the ball in transition and trying to get easy looks at the rim or using his vision to find open shooters who trail him would be another way for him to utilize his athleticism. Unfortunately, he likely has toned down his game to mitigate turnovers.
Overall, Scoot has not been what Portland was promised. He looks slow and timid, and his frantic demeanor confuses offense and defense. There isn’t one part of his game right now—outside of maybe his assist numbers—that truly excites Blazer fans.
Combine all of that with perplexing media day interviews, an unfortunate yet obscure injury in an Uber, which he has not recovered from well, and Blazer fans unfairly holding Damian Lillard‘s expulsion over his head, and you have quite the mess for the Blazers’ highest draft pick since Greg Oden.
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Fortunately for Scoot, he’s only 20 years old. He’s on a rebuilding team that can afford to lose right now. He has a coach who has been in his position before to advise him. But if things don’t turn around soon, a replacement from the 2025 draft may come.
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