Scoot Henderson hasn’t played an official game yet with the Portland Trail Blazers, but there is plenty of excitement surrounding the third pick entering the season.
Henderson had a strong debut with the Trail Blazers in the NBA Summer League, producing 15 points, six assists and five rebounds against the Houston Rockets. He was limited to one game, though, after suffering a shoulder injury on July 7.
The 6-foot-2 guard is projected to be one of the top point guards in the league and recently anointed himself as the front-runner to win Rookie of the Year. Henderson was also chosen, alongside teammate Shaedon Sharpe, as one of the top duos under 25 in the NBA by CBS Sports.
The upside of this duo is through the moon. But right now, it’s pretty much only upside. We haven’t seen anything from Henderson and everyone else on this list has proven far more than Sharpe. That’s the main qualifier with this group. That said, Henderson so convincingly projects as a future superstar that the Blazers basically gave up on keeping Damian Lillard the second he fell to them at No. 3.
Henderson was in the conversation to be the second pick this year behind Victor Wembanyama but ultimately dropped to Portland. The 19-year-old figures to be one of the top first-year players this year and could have an even bigger role, depending on the status of Lillard.
Sharpe, 20, is likely in store for a strong sophomore year after a productive rookie campaign. He showed glimpses last season of what he can provide on a nightly basis and is viewed as a cornerstone by the franchise moving forward.
With the future of Lillard in doubt, the Trail Blazers have a couple of promising building blocks, Henderson and Sharpe, who represent the next era in Portland.
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