The Trail Blazers' former No. 3 overall pick remains one of the most uncertain pieces in their rebuild. Now in his third season, we still don't have enough clarity regarding where Scoot Henderson fits in their long-term plans. Part of that was due to an untimely hamstring injury suffered prior to the season.
But Henderson has been back for two months now, and the biggest question remains: Is Scoot Henderson really only good against bad teams?
Portland needs Scoot Henderson to rise to the level of competition
He's scored 20-plus points on three occasions in March: 23 in a 31-point blowout over Milwaukee, 25 in a 10-point win over Utah, and 28 in a 20-point win over Indiana. While it's great he's shown flashes of this upside, it never comes when it matters most. They'd win these games with or without Henderson's contributions.
Can Portland rely on him when competition tightens, like in the Play-In Tournament? They're running out of time to find out, and at this point in the season, if you're not certain, the answer is no.
You could cherry-pick other players who increase production against weakened competition, as it's only natural that they play better in those matchups. But it seems much more extreme with Henderson. Against these teams, like the Bucks, Jazz, or Pacers, we've seen Henderson thrive going against teams that either lack perimeter defenders or rim protectors. He turns into the G League Ignite player who can get downhill and either finish at the rim or collapse the defense to set up teammates.
When that defense tightens, not so much. Turnovers become a major problem, and with his inability to turn the corner as frequently, he's forced to rely on an inconsistent three-point shot for more scoring. It's a reminder of why the draft hype hasn't translated up until this point.
Look at Henderson's scoring in games Portland has lost this March: 9, 13, 11, 17, 4, 11. Overall, he's been valuable in a sixth-man role. But that streakiness and inability to rise to the competition could keep Henderson as nothing more than a bench player in Portland. He needs to find ways to avoid disappearing and to elevate his floor, regardless of the competition.
In the short term, that's going to be crucial for the Blazers' offensive production, considering they could be without both Shaedon Sharpe and Jerami Grant for the remainder of the season. They're running out of options to take some of the offensive burden off Deni Avdija, and it would give them a huge boost if Henderson were to emerge as a consistent secondary option.
This is no longer just about Henderson's long-term development. If the Blazers want to reach the postseason, they desperately need him to step up.