Scoot Henderson is almost three years into his NBA career, and his longterm role with the Portland Trail Blazers is still unclear. Will he be a starting point guard, will he be a defensive specialist, or can he still ascend to the star billing he had when the team drafted him in 2024?
I don't have a definitive answer to that question right now, but the longer we don't know, the less realistic the last option becomes. In the meantime, as Shaedon Sharpe is set to miss at least a month and Deni Avdija deals with a lingering back injury, we'll see Henderson play meaningful minutes in a heavy on-ball role for the first time in his career.
Can he handle the responsibilities?
The past two years, Henderson was stuck behind Anfernee Simons in the Blazers' backcourt and was never a focal point in Portland's plans. This year, Jrue Holiday has been a nice surprise, but the Blazers don't have a real guard to pair with Holiday in the backcourt.
Plus, if Avdija misses any more time, Henderson might have to start with Toumani Camara moving over to small forward. However this shakes out, it's never felt more urgent for Henderson to show that he can be a major player for this team. For the team's current standing in the Western Conference, of course, but also for Henderson's personal longterm outlook.
It might be now or never for Scoot Henderson
Henderson has struggled with fouls and turnovers his entire career, and the Blazers answer to those problems was to give him fewer on-ball duties. But with the team's two leading scorers sidelined, Henderson can't act as a complementary option anymore.
Everything that Henderson was expected to be elite at — blowing by defenders, creating his own shot, finishing at the rim — have all been things he's actually struggled with since he came into the league. If those can't turn into positives now, at the end of his third season, it doesn't paint a positive picture for the future.
It's important to note that the aforementioned Anfernee Simons was not a high-level guard in the NBA until his fourth season. Every player develops at their own pace. But right now, as the Blazers are in the thick of a real postseason chase for the first time in years, Scoot will have plenty of opportunity to show that he's a viable answer in the backcourt — and it feels more pressing than ever that he does.