By now, we can all agree that the Portland Trail Blazers should've selected Amen Thompson instead of Scoot Henderson in the 2023 NBA Draft. The draft debate has now evolved beyond Thompson to include other breakout guards -- Orlando's Anthony Black and Utah's Keyonte George -- that have not only caught up to Scoot but also surpassed him entirely.
Portland's point guard hasn't played a single game in 2025-26 due to an untimely hamstring tear during an offseason workout. While that lingering and mysterious injury has been a frustrating enough situation on its own, the fact that multiple guards from the 2023 class are experiencing the breakout campaigns that Blazers fans are still waiting to see from Henderson has only magnified that frustration.
Anthony Black has passed Scoot Henderson
Black and George have each taken tremendous strides this season with their respective teams. Orlando's 6-foot-7 guard is proving to be somewhat of a Swiss Army Knife, averaging 15.9 points, 4.0 assists, and 4.1 rebounds on 47/36/73 shooting splits. Those numbers don't even do justice to the hot stretch he's been on as of late, as Black has seriously turned a corner in the NBA.
Originally the No. 6 overall pick, the primary concern surrounding Black coming out of Arkansas was his lack of shooting. He shot 30.1% from beyond the arc as a freshman, leaving many to wonder how he'd make enough of an impact on the offensive end to justify a top ten selection. Black has fully addressed those concerns in Year 3, increasing his three-point volume to 4.5 attempts per game without compromising his efficiency.
The fact that his shot has developed this rapidly and become this consistent at just 22 years old shows that Black quietly has one of the highest ceilings in the 2023 class.
Portland prides itself on its defensive identity, but also struggles offensively, particularly in the shooting department. While Scoot is capable of spacing the floor as well, it's the two-way impact that separates these two guards. The Blazers have less need for a traditional point guard with Deni Avdija taking on a point-forward role, and having Black's combo-guard skillset as a complementary piece would've done wonders for this backcourt.
Keyonte George has, too
Meanwhile, George's play in Utah has him making a compelling case to win Most Improved Player of the Year over Avdija. The Jazz are having a surprising season, and George's breakout has been a significant reason why. He's averaging 24.4 points, 6.7 assists, and 4.0 rebounds on 46/38/90 shooting splits, which is impressive efficiency for a 22-year-old guard.
This one doesn't sting as much, given that the Baylor product was the No. 16 overall pick, meaning he realistically wasn't in Portland's range at No. 3. There are also still concerns regarding his two-way impact and what his role would look like on a contender, especially given the declining market value of these player archetypes (undersized, offensive-minded guards). Still, the Blazers would love to have either young guard right about now.
Expectations were sky high when they first landed Scoot, as he was viewed to be the consolation prize to missing out on Victor Wembanyama. And although he's shed the premature bust labels with an improved second season, many were hoping he'd build off that and take the keys to Portland's backcourt. It's unclear whether that will ever come to fruition, and it's those unanswered questions that should have the Blazers second-guessing their 2023 draft decision.
What once appeared to be a can't-miss prospect continues to lose ground in what is turning out to be a stacked class.