Scoot Henderson’s immediate impact on Blazers
Assuming the rest of the roster remains intact, selecting Henderson would pose a challenge for Portland and head coach Chauncey Billups. The potential trio of Lillard, Anfernee Simons, and Henderson raises concerns about their size and overlapping skill sets, exacerbating an issue that existed before Henderson entered the equation.
However, Scoot doesn’t seem too concerned about the potential fit issues:
Scoot Henderson possibly going third to Portland Trail Blazers: “I’m ready to contribute wherever I go. I think I could help Dame [Lillard]… Whatever play time I get, I’m going to go in there and kill.” pic.twitter.com/rpODWFgciN
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) June 21, 2023
If this were the scenario, Henderson could come off the bench alongside another potential star in Shaedon Sharpe. This would give the team plenty of athleticism and talent off the bench, which wasn’t the case for Billups last year. Henderson would likely take on point guard duties when he’s in for Lillard; this would take the playmaking pressure off of Simons, who previously has had to fill in as the primary ballhandler.
Scoot would be a great sparkplug off the bench with his relentless style of play. It’s an exciting potential backcourt with four excellent players – two elite shooters and two promising prospects with exceptional athleticism.
While size would certainly be a concern, the combination of shooting and athleticism between the players could complement each other well on offense. Billups would have plenty of talented guards to work with.
The main issue here is that drafting Scoot wouldn’t solve any of the Blazers’ existing problems: a lack of two-way wings and bigs. They would have to spend the rest of the offseason addressing the issues, which could be complex with their limited cap flexibility.
Brandon Miller’s immediate impact on Blazers
Given the current roster, Miller would be a much more seamless fit for Portland. He would likely slide in as the other starting forward to play alongside Jerami Grant if the Blazers can retain him in free agency.
The need for a versatile forward is atop the Blazers’ priority list this offseason, and Miller would immediately solve that problem. Wing depth would still need to be addressed, but Miller could be a day-one starter for Portland. He’d be a great floor spacer for others to operate.
Additionally, he could be relied on as a third or fourth go-to scorer who can help take some of the burdens off Lillard. Defensively, one area that Miller could help the Blazers with is rebounding. His 8.2 rebounds per game would be a massive boost for the Blazers since Grant isn’t a great rebounder. He averaged 4.5 boards last season.
Miller’s versatility is the other aspect that the Blazers desperately need. With Lillard, Simons, and Nurkic, the Blazers have too many players incapable of guarding multiple positions. Miller would be a tremendous defensive addition to help fix that.