Rookie guards are seldom productive in the NBA. So when Scoot Henderson had the highest turnover rate per 100 possessions in the league two years ago, it wasn't overly concerning. But in 2026, as Henderson is about to wrap up his third year in the NBA, that turnover rate hasn't improved at all. That is concerning.
It's true Henderson has played just 13 games this year, and is still getting his sea legs underneath him after returning from a torn hamstring. It's also true that last year, Henderson's turnover rate was under 5%. Still not great, but a step in the right direction. It's also also true that Henderson recently had a 28-point, 0-turnover game. So it's not all bleak.
But we're about a month away from Henderson finishing his third season in the league. Entering year four not knowing if a top draft pick can consistently protect the ball — especially in a pretty low-volume role — just doesn't seem worth the trouble.
Turnovers continue to plague Scoot Henderson
It's okay to turn the ball over. Everyone does it. I don't expect Henderson to become Chris Paul, who only once averaged 3 turnovers per game in a season, and did it when he also led the league in assists. But I do think it's reasonable to be disappointed in the lack of progress from Scoot in this regard.
He looks more comfortable in a few areas right now than he did when he entered the league; ball security is not one of them, and that's a pretty big roadblock to becoming a starting-caliber player. It's also become a roadblock to consistent minutes, as Tiago Splitter has shown a willingness to bench Henderson if the turnovers stack up quickly, which they did on Tuesday against the Hornets. You can want Splitter to be more patient with Henderson, but this team is trying to win games in a tightly contested Western Conference play-in race. The plan of letting Henderson figure things out on the fly are long gone.
I still haven't given up on Scoot Henderson as a productive NBA player. At times this year, he's looked more confident getting downhill and should be able to rebrand as a defense-first guard if all else fails. But a player's ability to quarterback an offense stems from their ability to protect the ball, and Henderson continues to struggle mightily doing that. Fans shouldn't have to hold their breath every time a point guard attempts any sort of dribble move.