It's now or never for Portland Trail Blazers point guard Scoot Henderson. The Blazers have wisely made him a priority this offseason with both their additions and subtractions. The departures of Anfernee Simons and Dalano Banton will free up significant minutes and touches. He also now has two valuable mentors in Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday, and the former won't be cutting into this on-court production this season.
The Blazers have successfully built an elite infrastructure around him, but now Scoot must take the step forward and prove he is a piece of their core. The Blazers can only do so much to help aid his development; it's on him to actually get past the finish line.
Blazers clear the path for Scoot Henderson's make-or-break season
That's high expectations to have for a 21-year-old guard, especially considering his rocky rookie season and the fact that guards typically take longer to make an impact in the NBA. However, Henderson was also the No. 3 overall pick in 2023; he should have these high expectations and a sense of urgency surrounding his development.
Portland's overall ceiling largely depends on Henderson reaching his individual ceiling. He's the one they've invested the most in, both with the top-three selection and, more recently, with their moves this offseason. They need to know that Henerson is their point guard of the future sooner rather than later.
It's only going to get harder for him to earn the keys to the backcourt with Lillard set to return and Portland likely landing another lottery pick next summer. Portland already has its core pieces in the frontcourt between Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, and Donovan Clingan. They've also invested in the center position in consecutive drafts. With the Blazers' frontcourt solidified, their focus must shift to gaining more backcourt clarity. Given the lack of backcourt depth and long-term uncertainty surrounding the position, Portland should strongly consider taking a guard in the draft next summer.
In other words, there's only going to be more competition for Henderson. That is, unless he's able to prove to Portland this season that there's no need to bring in additional competition.
Henderson quietly had a productive second year and is trending in the right direction. He's officially shed the "bust" label many gave him after his rookie season. There's no doubt he's going to be a valuable rotational player in the league, at the very least. But is all that he is?
We'll know more after this season, as the Blazers are strategically putting their former No. 3 overall pick in a sink-or-swim situation.