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3 NBA veterans we’d like to see join the Portland Trail Blazers on a 10-day contract

By Andy Quach

Damian Lillard, Jeremy Lin, Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets, NBA, 10-day contract (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
Damian Lillard, Jeremy Lin, Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets, NBA, 10-day contract (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images) /
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Hassan Whiteside, John Henson, Portland Trail Blazers, Detroit Pistons
Hassan Whiteside, John Henson, Portland Trail Blazers, Detroit Pistons (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

2. 10-day Trail Blazer we’d like to see: John Henson

John Henson was one of those players who seemingly had all the tools to be great, but could never quite put it all together. He’s 6’9 with a massive 7’6 wingspan, can run the floor well for a center, can jump out of the gym, has a natural instinct for swatting shots away in the paint, and can provide vertical spacing on the other end of the floor.

On paper, he’s the perfect prototypical big for today’s NBA. His per-36 minutes for his career are: 13.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, two assists, and 2.6 blocks with 55 percent accuracy from the floor.

If one was viewing a reel of Henson’s top plays, it’d be hard to believe that he was just a middling journeyman role player, rather than one of the best centers in the league.

Watch him fake the dribble hand off before taking Cody Zeller off the dribble and stuffing it in over the top of Kemba Walker. Whew.

Here he is, proving that he’s always ready and never afraid of the moment. He perfectly positions himself for the put back and tips it in for the win over the Brooklyn Nets.

In this play, he slides over to help against Mike Scott on the roll. He’s there a little late to deny the entry pass, but his athleticism allows him to come from behind for the huge rejection.

Having just turned 31 years old today (happy birthday John Henson!), without any major injuries, he should have plenty of juice left to give. He should be good for around 15-20 minutes a game, with a few plays that look like this sprinkled throughout.

The Trail Blazers were decimated by the Dallas Mavericks, who abused Portland’s lack of size with Jusuf Nurkic, Cody Zeller, Robert Covington, and Trendon Watford all in the health and safety protocols.

Portland’s apparent lack of size was a glaring issue even with the roster at full strength. Now more than ever, they need to shore up their frontcourt depth. The Trail Blazers should grant Henson his birthday wish and gift him a 10-day contract.