Trail Blazers: Let's Give Scoot Henderson A Chance To Settle In
The season is five games old for Portland Trail Blazers point guard Scoot Henderson, which is an incredibly small sample size.
More than likely, Henderson finishes his career with over 1,000 of them to his name, making his current start forgettable.
Because oh boy do they need to be forgettable.
Henderson has struggled, to say the least. He's hitting just 9.5% from the outside (yes, you read that number accurately), turns the ball over four times a night, and fouls just as much as he turns the ball over.
In just over 28 minutes of playing time, he's averaging 8.8 points, 4.6 assists, just 2.2 rebounds, and can't seem to find his foothold offensively.
The expectation of many - myself included - was that he would hit the ground running, and prove to be one of the most NBA-ready players in the draft.
The logic behind it was simple. Perhaps too simple. His career in the G League, for the Ignite was spent on NBA regulation courts, with a 24-second shot clock, and against competition that was close to NBA talent.
As it turns out, Henderson is still in need of adjusting to the pro level, and may take a little more seasoning before he feels fully comfortable running an NBA offense.
That's OK.
No caveat, no hidden note. That's OK. Full stop.
In today's instant gratification society of ours, in particularly in a league where young players come in more ready to contribute than ever before, we need to remind ourselves that development isn't linear.
For some, it takes just a few games to identify the rhythm of the NBA, and how to manipulate defenses. For others, it takes longer. Some never figure it out.
Henderson, clearly, didn't explode onto the scene. He looks like the Blazers will have to pivot a little bit extra into development mode with him, but at 19 it'd be foolish to argue this wasn't a possibility.
On a recent Zoom call with international media members, San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said the team was still in "observation mode" in regards to Victor Wembanyama.
He elaborated by saying they weren't sure what type of player he'd become, just as Wembanyama himself wasn't sure what type of player he'd become.
The Blazers are in that exact boat with Henderson, as 19-year-olds usually have a maturation process ahead of them.
So, what can the Blazers do in the immediate future to get Henderson more comfortable?
In the short-term, it might be beneficial to play him even more with the bench unit, and allow him to not necessarily feel the responsibility of feeding the more established players on the roster.
That isn't to suggest he shouldn't start. He should, as a demotion could be too big of a knock to the confidence, especially this early.
Henderson needs to experience some success, and giving him the keys to the team, while running with the bench, might prove to be an easier pathway for him to feel the game out, and allow him to first-hand juggle the balance between scoring and passing, as he processes moments and opportunities.
That isn't an indictment nor a demotion. It's just putting him a position to eventually discover the best version of himself, even if it might take a smidge longer.
Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
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