Ranking the Portland Trail Blazers’ 4 best offseason moves
By Reese Kunz
Blazers’ best offseason move: Drafting Scoot Henderson at pick No. 3
Selecting Scoot third overall seemed close to a no-brainer, as many analysts had a clear-cut top three draft prospects in Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller and Henderson. The more difficult decision for the Blazers front office was what to do with the pick itself and whether they should keep it or trade it to get veteran help to surround Lillard.
Selecting Henderson comes in as the Blazers’ best offseason decision, not just because Henderson himself is an excellent pick, but also because they didn’t end up trading it.
In the long run, the Blazers’ most realistic chance at winning another championship was the rebuilding route, especially if there wasn’t an available trade for a superstar that would’ve genuinely moved the needle to make Portland a championship contender.
Henderson only played one game in the NBA Summer League, but he showcased some of the potential that makes him such an intriguing player. In only 21.3 minutes, Henderson scored 15 points and added 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 turnovers on 39/33/100 shooting splits.
Had Henderson played more, he would’ve been close to recording a triple-double in his first NBA action. He is already great at utilizing his athleticism to impact the game, including rebounding as a guard – another reason why one of his NBA player comparisons is Russell Westbrook.
The next step in the evolution of his game will be becoming a more efficient shooter, particularly from deep. However, it’s easy to see how Henderson’s game will translate to the NBA on day one. His G League experience, athletic build, and skill set have prepared him to make an immediate impact.
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Henderson has set lofty expectations for himself in his rookie season, going on the record to say that he will win Rookie of the Year. Even if he doesn’t win Rookie of the Year, Blazers fans should be excited about the team’s future outlook with the promising all-star-level potential of Henderson.