Scoot Henderson has come off the bench for the Portland Trail Blazers, taking a back seat to Jrue Holiday by design. While Blazers fans are understandably eager to see Henderson take the keys to the backcourt, this has proven to be beneficial for his development.
He's had an up-and-down two months since returning to action from a hamstring tear suffered during an offseason workout. But Henderson has quietly turned a corner in March, embracing that sixth man role for Portland.
Blazers' decision to bring Scoot off the bench is paying off
This month, he's averaging 14.5 points, 3.2 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game. Ideally, the assists would be higher, but that's not really the role Portland is asking of him. Especially with Shaedon Sharpe sidelined with a calf injury, the Blazers need more scoring punch from Henderson. He's risen to the occasion as of late, even connecting on 41.8% of his three-point attempts this month, giving them a much-needed spark off the bench.
In fact, his 166 bench points since March 8th lead the entire league by a wide margin. The second leading bench scorer is Los Angeles Clippers guard Bennedict Mathurin, totaling 139 points during that stretch.
We've always seen flashes from Portland's former No. 3 overall pick, but the question was whether he could put those together consistently to become a more complete player. If this recent stretch is any indication, he's finally figuring out how to navigate the league. Mind you, Henderson is just 22 years old, playing the most difficult position to adjust to in the NBA.
Henderson is still proving his value to Portland's playoff push
It's fair to say that Scoot has failed to meet the sky-high expectations many had for him entering the league in 2023. But that doesn't mean he can't still be an incredibly valuable piece in this Blazers rebuild. They've adjusted his role to meet where he's at in his development, and as a result, the Blazers have a secret weapon off the bench that every team covets.
It remains to be seen if Henderson can ever take that next step to be considered Portland's starting point guard of the future. Having Holiday and Lillard as veterans buys them time for that to come to fruition. And in the meantime, the Blazers have found a legitimate bench piece who not only maintains their level of play but also turns the tide of games with his energy, giving their backcourt a different look.
The playmaking and turnover problems eventually need to be resolved if Henderson is ever to become more than this for Portland. But let's appreciate the fact that he's still become a key piece in their playoff push -- the kind of spark off the bench that every other team wishes they had.