The Portland Trail Blazers are coming off a disappointing 1-4 road trip that highlighted just how badly this team needs Scoot Henderson to return from injury.
The Blazers' former No. 3 overall pick has missed the start of the season after suffering an unfortunate and untimely left hamstring tear. That injury was announced on September 26, with a timeline of 4-8 weeks before Henderson would be able to return to basketball activities. We're now reaching the end of that range, meaning Henderson should be back relatively soon, though there's still no official update in that regard.
Blazers' lack of depth and playmaking makes Scoot Henderson more important than ever
Portland shouldn't rush Scoot back by any means, but they could desperately use him right about now. Their backcourt depth isn't just a roster weakness; it's currently non-existent and likely the worst in the association.
Blake Wesley was filling the void surprisingly well, but suffered an untimely injury of his own with a foot fracture. To make matters worse, outside of Deni Avdija, the Blazers' wings aren't well-equipped to step up as playmakers. Toumani Camara has yet to expand his offensive arsenal, while Kris Murray, Sidy Cissoko, and Rayan Rupert are 3-and-D wings still in search of the three.
That formula is an offensive recipe for disaster, and it's precisely how Shaedon Sharpe winds up going 12-of-32 in their overtime loss to the Dallas Mavericks. They don't have any other options!
That has already been problematic to start the season, but has lately been compounded by Jrue Holiday's calf injury. He's been great for Portland and more than justifying the Anfernee Simons swap, but at the same time, their offense is way too reliant on a 35-year-old with an injury history of his own.
Given how well Sharpe is playing, Henderson likely won't -- and shouldn't -- start when he finally does come back. Regardless, he'll have a massive role and play significant minutes for Portland. They need another playmaker and ballhandler in the mix, as this iso-heavy and stagnant offense has been brutal to watch as of late. That was a point of emphasis this offseason, but the Blazers are going back to their old ways.
With Henderson, they can finally start playing more winning basketball and play to their strengths as a team that likes to push the pace. Just two seasons ago, putting Henderson and winning basketball in the same sentence went about as well as orange juice after brushing your teeth. But the fact that the Blazers have missed Henderson so much during the stretch goes to show how far he's developed during his time in Portland.
This offseason, Portland strategically maneuvered its roster to give Henderson that increased role he's earned. Unfortunately, that also came at the expense of their depth, which is being exposed with him out of the equation.
Once he's back, we'll finally get to see the vision for this roster come to life. And while we don't want him to risk reinjury with a premature return, it can't come soon enough.