Scoot Henderson’s game-winner hints at what Blazers’ future could look like

The Portland Trail Blazers avenged their earlier 42-point loss to the Utah Jazz with a thrilling, back-and-forth victory capped off by a game-winning shot from Scoot Henderson with 0.1 seconds remaining.

The Jazz went on a 16-0 run in the third quarter, and at that point, it seemed as if they could run away with it again. But the Blazers were much more resilient and showed that competitive "spirit" that Chauncey Billups called out in their previous loss.

Billups wasn't coaching, unfortunately, due to the passing of his grandmother. In his place was assistant coach Nate Bjorkgen. Bjorkgen made key adjustments and rotation switches that allowed the Blazers' young core the opportunities they needed to shine.

Blazers’ young core shows promise with strong performances from Henderson, Sharpe, and Avdija

Anfernee Simons struggled to get things going on offense, finishing with eight points on 3-12 shooting. Bjorkgen entrusted Henderson to be a part of the closing lineup, and he delivered when it mattered most. It was one of his best games of the season, finishing with 18 points, ten assists, two steals, and one block on 6-12 shooting from the field and 3-6 shooting from deep. Scoot also only had one turnover, playing much more under control and making the right reads rather than forcing the issue.

Henderson wasn't the only member of Portland's young core that played well. Shaedon Sharpe and Deni Avdija both finished tied with a game-high 27 points. All three players shot fifty percent from beyond the arc, contributing to eight of Portland's 15 threes made on an efficient 38 attempts.

The Blazers' rebuild will go as far as this trio of players will take them. Portland desperately needs more offensive help as they rank towards the bottom in offensive rating and several other key offensive categories.

Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan are exceptional role pieces capable of eventually becoming All-Defensive Team members. However, they are also capped offensively in terms of relying on others to set them up for most of their looks. It will be up to Henderson, Sharpe, and Avdija to generate the majority of the offense out of their rebuilding core.

Seven of Portland's players played more than 30 minutes in this game. Although Henderson and Avdija are coming off the bench, they need to see those minutes for the remainder of the season, with both currently hovering around 25-26 minutes a game.

Avdija has arguably been the Blazers' best player in December, while Henderson has struggled much of the season. But this game could mark a turning point for him. His confident yet controlled play throughout was encouraging, even before the game-winner, which was icing on the cake.