Injuries have already begun to pile up for the Portland Trail Blazers, who have been forced to rely on two-way players such as Sidy Cissoko and Caleb Love for stretches early on in the 2025-26 season. The Blazers are already a team that's losing the star power battle on almost a nightly basis, having to frequently match up against the powerhouse teams in the Western Conference. Outside of their elite defense, one advantage Portland typically has to compensate for its lack of star power is its depth. That's why they desperately need Scoot Henderson to return from his hamstring injury.
When fully healthy, the Blazers have seven players who can make legitimate cases for a starting role. It remains to be seen what starting lineup changes, if any, interim head coach Tiago Splitter will make when Henderson does return. Regardless, it's clear that Portland's guard will provide a significant boost to their offense.
Blazers' offense desperately needs Scoot Henderson's playmaking
The Blazers announced on September 26 that Scoot suffered a left hamstring tear. At the time, they gave him a timeline of four to eight weeks until he can return to basketball activities, which doesn't necessarily mean he'll be able to play right away when he does return, either.
We are roughly five weeks into that timeline, so it wouldn't be surprising if we receive a Scoot update in the coming weeks. While the Blazers have no reason to rush their former No. 3 overall pick back, it's clear his return can't come soon enough.
Portland's most recent loss to the shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers was a prime example of how much they have missed Scoot's presence. Jrue Holiday has been solid to start the season, but he had an off night as both a shot creator and playmaker. Splitter's backcourt options were limited, and he didn't have the luxury to pivot.
Overall, Holiday has stepped up for Portland, but this particular game exposed the fact that the Blazers are overly reliant on him to generate offense. Henderson will take some of that burden off of Holiday, providing the Blazers with more consistency in terms of the backcourt rotation and playmaking.
Scoot's athleticism also makes him a perfect fit for the style of play the Blazers have emphasized this season as a team that wants to maximize transition opportunities. Not to mention, he's quietly improved his shooting, connecting on 35.4% of his three-point attempts last season.
The injury was unfortunate timing as Henerson was looking to take a third-year leap with his continued development and increased role following the departure of Anfernee Simons. Holiday has filled the void nicely, but Blazers fans must not forget that this team is emphasizing a long-term approach. Even if he doesn't start, Scoot is going to have every opportunity to emerge as a primary offensive initiator this season. And as we just saw in their loss to the Lakers, the Blazers desperately need that to be the case.