Scoot Henderson has been cleared to play on Friday in the Portland Trail Blazers' matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian/OregonLive.
This will be Henderson's highly anticipated season debut as the Blazers point guard has been sidelined since suffering a hamstring tear during an offseason workout.
It will take some time for him to get back into shape, and a minutes restriction seems reasonable to expect, but this is a very exciting update for Blazers fans who have been eagerly waiting to see how their young guard fits into this group.
Scoot Henderson must prove he fits with a Blazers team that evolved without him
The injury has lingered, leaving fans frustrated, confused -- all the feels. But it sounds like the Blazers and Henderson are finally turning a corner on what has been an injury-riddled season.
Portland's backcourt is getting healthy as Blake Wesley has now played in two games since returning from a brutal foot fracture. That's going to go a long way in Portland's playoff chase, as this team has had to overcome playmaking deficiencies, which have been particularly exposed by poor late-game execution throughout the season.
It will be refreshing for head coach Tiago Splitter to finally have these options at his disposal, as Portland has essentially been forced to glue together lineups depending on who's healthy that night.
Henderson's return is massive news for Portland both this season and in the future. Most significantly, the Blazers will finally have an opportunity to evaluate their backcourt fit with Jrue Holiday and Deni Avdija, who has been more of a point-forward this year. Henderson may be forced to play more off-ball as a secondary offensive initiator, but his improved three-point shot should help him in that role.
He showed promising signs of improvement in his second year, improving in every aspect, from shooting and finishing to defense and overall decision-making. That's why this injury was so untimely, as it derailed all that momentum, making Henderson the odd man out of Portland's young core.
Scoot was set to take the keys to the backcourt following the departure of Anfernee Simons, but he hasn't had the opportunity. Hopefully, he'll find a way to make up for lost time, as this is a crucial stretch for him to prove he can fit into the existing foundation that the Blazers have already built without him this season.
Many viewed it as a make-or-break year for Scoot before the injury, and in some cases, it still is, just with a smaller sample size. That makes every game from here on out even more important, starting with Friday's matchup against a new-look Grizzlies squad.