3 Portland Trail Blazers players poised to have breakout 2024-25 season

3. Scoot Henderson

The Blazers traded Malcolm Brogdon for Deni Avdija this summer, clearing the way for Scoot Henderson. Scoot should see an increase from the 28.5 minutes he played his rookie season, even though he may not be the starting point guard if the Blazers decide to go with Anfernee Simons and Sharpe in the backcourt.

After a rocky transition to the NBA, Henderson had a much more encouraging finish to his rookie season as he seemed to get more comfortable with the pace of play and level of competition. Scoot looked like an entirely different player before and after the All-Star break.

In the 43 games played before the All-Star break, the Ignite guard was statistically one of the worst players in the NBA. He averaged 12.9 points, 4.7 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.0 turnovers on inefficient 38/31/82 shooting splits. If Henderson played like he did after the All-Star break the entire season, he would have easily made one of the NBA All-Rookie Teams he was omitted from. In those 19 games, Henderson averaged 16.6 points, 7.1 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game, although with 4.5 turnovers.

Young guards entering the league take longer to adjust, and Henderson was no exception. But if he picks up where he left off, Henderson is one of the best candidates for a breakout campaign.