How Scoot Henderson Fits with the OKC Thunder

Next up in the Thunder Fits series, which will detail each draft picks fit with the Thunder, is G League standout Scoot Henderson.

With the Oklahoma City Thunder out of the NBA Playoffs and the 2023 draft closing in, it’s time to switch gears to prospect evaluation mode.

And this year’s impending draft has plenty of players that can help bolster the OKC core.

No matter how unlikely it is Oklahoma City lands certain prospects, the Thunder Fit series will take a look at how they would fit with the current team’s configuration. And with a war chest of assets, you never know how far the front office could move up to acquire a player.

The second prospect in the series is Scoot Henderson, who will likely hear his name called as early as second overall, meaning Oklahoma City has just a 1.9 percent chance at landing his talents.

Here’s how Henderson could fit alongside the rest of the Thunder core:

Offense

Offensively, Henderson is a true point guard. He’s a high-flying acrobat in the same mold as Russell Westbrook, early-career Derrick Rose and Ja Morant.

He stands at 6-foot-2, 195-pounds, and averaged 16.5 points, 6.5 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game in his latest G League season.

His fit in the Oklahoma City system is an odd one. He would immediately be a massive infusion of athleticism, but it’s hard to imagine him assuming the point guard duties from soon-to-be first-team All-NBA guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

For that matter, OKC already has solid backup point guards in Josh Giddey and former Santa Clara guard Jalen Williams.

Of course, it’s a great problem to have, adding a potential perennial All-Star guard to an already loaded core. But there would likely have to be a real roster shift.

Defense

On defense, Henderson has a massive care factor and to this point he hasn’t been any major detriment. He is a decent defensive playmaker at 1.1 steals per game.

But at 6-foot-3, he’s likely going to be sought out on mismatches by bigger, star-level players.

OKC really values positional length, so Henderson wouldn’t be a great addition as far as that’s concerned. But with No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren entering the lineup, letting Williams, Josh Giddey and Gilgeous-Alexander slot down, Henderson could be hidden well.

The Ignite star also has a 6-foot-9 wingspan, which, more often than not, lends itself better to defense than height.

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