Portland Trail Blazers 2023 NBA Draft Big Board: Final pre-draft rankings

2. Scoot Henderson, G, G League Ignite

Big Board 3.0 rank: 2

At first glance, Henderson is all the things Portland doesn’t need. A 6-foot-2 guard who could get exposed on defense. Ball-dominant. 19 years old. A poor outside shooter.

All those things are true at the moment.

But digging deeper, those flaws aren’t as significant as they appear to be, and there are so many other things Scoot brings to the table – some that can be measured and some that can’t. He’s too strong, explosive, and competitive to be placed anywhere else on this list – whether Lillard, Simons, and Shaedon Sharpe are on the roster or all gone.

He’s the most explosive athlete in this class. Alongside Sharpe, the Blazers would be building perhaps the most athletic backcourt in the NBA.

Henderson wants to humiliate anyone on the floor if they’re standing between him and the basket, and he usually does. Moda Center would be rocking whenever Scoot has the ball in his hands.

Other than being a shaky spot-up shooter, there isn’t much the 19-year-old can’t do offensively. He can beat defenders off the dribble in isolation and pick-and-roll situations, can stop on a dime and rise up for mid-range jumpers, and can contort himself to finish in just about any way possible at the rim.

His potential as a defensive liability is overblown. Scoot has a 6-9 wingspan – the same as Amen Thompson – and his strength, quickness, and competitiveness will make him more than passable on that end of the floor.

If Scoot is available at No. 3 for the Blazers, he’s simply too good to pass on.