Scoot Henderson is out to start the 2025-26 season after unfortunately suffering a left hamstring tear. That injury has Sam Vecenie of The Athletic questioning on the Game Theory Podcast how this Portland Trail Blazers team, severely lacking point guard depth, will generate enough offense until Henderson gets back.
"I'm really interested to see how they're going to handle the overall point guard position," Vecenie said. "It's not my immediate reaction that Jrue Holiday is a point guard anymore. I think early in the year, while Scoot is out, he probably does have to do a little bit of that, especially because I don't think Shaedon [Sharpe] can play point. How do they initiate offense early in the year is a real question mark to me."
Scoot Henderson's absence hurts Portland's playoff chances
Portland struggled with turnovers last season. They got even worse in that department this offseason after moving Anfernee Simons, who had the best assist-to-turnover ratio on their roster. Without Henderson to start the season, even an elite defense won't be enough to compensate for their lack of playmaking in the backcourt.
Henderson suffered his injury on September 26 and was given a timeline of four to eight weeks until he returns to basketball activities. The Blazers' season is set to begin on October 22, meaning if he needs the full eight weeks, he would miss roughly 20 games.
As is typically the case in the Western Conference, Portland has a tough schedule to start the season, playing the Warriors, Lakers, and Thunder twice during that stretch. Given their lack of backcourt depth and challenging schedule, Portland could quickly dig itself a hole before Henderson's able to return. And in the West, that's a hole that's incredibly difficult to climb out of -- something Portland learned last season when their midseason turnaround still wasn't enough to reach the play-in.
Another thing to consider is that the Blazers still owe the Chicago Bulls a lottery-protected first-round pick thanks to the Larry Nance Jr. trade. If they get off to a slow start, they could potentially shut things down to ensure that they keep that pick and increase its value.
General manager Joe Cronin emphasized at media day that, despite their win-now moves this offseason, Portland is still prioritizing a long-term approach. This could be their last chance to add another top-ten pick to their rebuilding roster. Portland will have a much better shot at playoff contention in 2026-27 with a further developed young core, a new owner, offseason cap space, and a healthier backcourt, including Damian Lillard and Henderson.