There's been a double standard in terms of how the Portland Trail Blazers have developed Deni Avdija and Scoot Henderson. Both are key to Portland reaching its rebuilding ceiling, yet they don't have the same leeway, particularly when it comes to turnovers.
Avdija has the ultimate leash, and for good reason. The Blazers are strategically playing the long game, patiently living with the inevitable growing pains that come with Avdija embracing a more point-forward role.
But why can't that same luxury be afforded to their former No. 3 overall pick?
Blazers need to give Scoot Henderson a longer leash
Scoot has had a turnover problem since entering the league. Now, in Year 3, he hasn't shown enough signs of addressing that problem, as he still averages 2.8 per game. That's problematic, especially since the Blazers lead the league in turnovers (17.2 per game) by a wide margin.
But there's so much more to Henderson's game that hasn't yet been unlocked. Portland is doing him a disservice by preventing him from developing the rest of his game and becoming more well-rounded through meaningful in-game reps.
Last season, Chauncey Billups gave Avdija an incredibly long leash for developmental purposes. "To be a good playmaker, you have to be aggressive... Deni's had some games … he had 10 turnovers one time. These are positions he hadn't been in before. You fall and bump your head a few times before you can learn," Billups said.
The approach Billups had with Avdija clearly worked. So why can't Tiago Splitter use it with Henderson, too?
There may be more pressure to win now compared to last season. Splitter is auditioning for a long-term spot as head coach, while GM Joe Cronin has to worry about whether incoming owner Tom Dundon will decide to clean house.
Still, Cronin has made it clear that this team is prioritizing its future and taking a patient, long-term approach. Not giving extended minutes to your most coveted draft pick of the rebuild because he's turning the ball over too much at 22 years old seems contradictory to that goal.
We just recently saw that in Portland's heartbreaking loss to the Charlotte Hornets. Other than the four costly turnovers, Henderson was playing well. He had 17 points while shooting 6-of-10 from the field and 5-of-8 from deep. This was a crucial game in terms of his confidence and end-of-season momentum, as Henderson had a concerning stretch he was hoping to break out of by stacking positive games. Yet he just played 19 minutes, and Portland still lost.
The Blazers sit 10th in the Western Conference and are all but a lock to be a play-in team, especially since no team behind them in the standings is even really trying to win at this point. Would playing Henderson 25-30 minutes a night really change anything in terms of their playoff hopes?
It would not only give Henderson more opportunities to play through these growing pains, but also give Portland a chance to evaluate what they have at the point guard position. Henderson's extended absence due to injury and his limited role upon return have blurred the picture.
At this stage of their rebuild, Portland isn't doing Scoot or themselves any favors by limiting his minutes. As they did with Avdija, they simply need to let Henderson play through the turnover problems.