On September 26, the Portland Trail Blazers announced that point guard Scoot Henderson suffered a left hamstring tear during an offseason workout. At the time, Henderson was given an estimated recovery timeline of four to eight weeks. Well, we are now entering week eight, and Henderson, unfortunately, isn't on track to return anytime soon.
Jason Quick of The Athletic recently reported that Henderson is viewed as "week to week" with no imminent return.
"I can walk around to spots, but no jumping, no exploding," Henderson said. "I shoot free throws, some ballhandling, but without moving much."
That doesn't sound like someone who is going to return within the eight-week timeline, let alone by the end of November.
Scoot Henderson injury update comes at worst possible time for Blazers
These injury-related updates regarding players needing more time to recover are always discouraging, but particularly in this case, considering the situation surrounding Henderson and the Blazers.
It remained to be seen if he would have started had he not gotten injured prior to the season, but regardless, Henderson was on track to take on an increased role following the departure of Anfernee Simons. He's only entering Year 3 of his young career, but in some ways this was a make-or-break season for Portland's former No. 3 overall pick. With Damian Lillard set to return next season, it's only going to get harder for Henderson to prove he deserves the keys to the backcourt.
Jrue Holiday has stepped up well in his absence, proving he's still more than capable of setting the table as a primary playmaker at 35 years old. But that also could come at the expense of Henderson, as he's already fighting an uphill battle to carve out a role in an already established offensive hierarchy -- one that will be even harder to change by the time he's actually set to return.
For Portland, it's a significant blow considering their dire roster situation. The Blazers' backcourt is increasingly falling apart by the day. Holiday has missed their last two games due to calf soreness. Blake Wesley also suffered a right foot fracture in their October 31 win over the Denver Nuggets and was given a recovery timeline of 8–12 weeks.
As a result, interim head coach Tiago Splitter has had to rely on two-way players Caleb Love, Sidy Cissoko, and, to a lesser extent, Javonte Cooke. That has gone about how one might expect; it has become a fatal flaw in Portland's roster, contributing to their active four-game losing streak.
Given their lack of playmaking and backcourt depth, Henderson has suddenly become as valuable as ever for Portland. Hopefully, he can return at some point in December and serve as the catalyst to help Portland reach the play-in out west.