It's no secret that guards take longer to adjust coming into the NBA. Despite this, 21-year-old Cason Wallace finds himself starting in the NBA Finals for the loaded Oklahoma City Thunder. A significant reason for this is his mindset, which is something Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson could learn from.
Before the Finals, Wallace spoke with Anthony Slater of The Athletic. One thing that stood out was the shift in his mindset, going from one of the best players on his Kentucky team to embracing a lessened role with the Thunder.
"Being a guard and the guy your whole life and then coming in and having to be a role player, you have to change your mindset," Wallace said. "Everybody can't be the man. Whatever it takes to win is the mindset we all have. That winning mindset gets you paid."
Scoot Henderson can learn from Cason Wallace’s mindset
Wallace was the No. 10 overall pick in 2023, the same draft class where the Blazers took Henderson at No. 3. But you can tell by just that one comment that Wallace is much more mature than a typical guard with just two years of NBA experience.
This is not to say that Henderson is immature, but in many ways, the fact that he was the No. 3 pick did more harm than good for his NBA transition.
"I wanted to be great so fast, and I wanted to make an impact so badly … but that can hurt you. It can make you force," Henderson told The Athletic's Jason Quick back in February.
Life came at Henderson fast in the NBA. Many prematurely declared him a bust after his rocky rookie season. He was a turnover machine, a questionable decision-maker, and struggled to change paces when necessary.
Finding the balance is key for Henderson to reach his ceiling
Several of those issues became less concerning in his second season. Henderson finally started contributing to playing winning basketball and was much more within the flow of the game instead of constantly forcing the issue.
But the reality is, Henderson wasn't drafted to be the role player that Wallace is -- he's on his own career trajectory. Those issues that resulted in a bust label are also the traits that give him such a high ceiling and convinced the Blazers to spend a valuable top-three pick on him in the first place.
The next step for Henderson is finding the balance between the overly confident prospect who entered the NBA and the role-player mindset Wallace has already embraced. His sweet spot lies somewhere between the reckless rookie he was and the second-year guard learning to fit in.
Wallace is an excellent two-way guard, and there's a reason he's starting in the Finals. But the Blazers aren't the Thunder. Portland needs Henderson's ceiling to be higher than that, even if that means enduring more growing pains and a rockier developmental path to get there.