PORTLAND, Ore. — It has been a trying rookie season for Scoot Henderson, but nothing has been harder than hearing what his coach told him during a recent meeting. As the two watched game film in the office of Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, the coach told Henderson he had yet to see the athletic wunderkind they know he can be during the season’s first two months. Sure, there had been flashes of Henderson’s speed, but Billups had yet to see the power, the burst and the aggression that made Henderson one of the most desired picks in the 2023 NBA Draft.
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Heck, Billups told him, he couldn’t even remember if Henderson had dunked this season.
“I was like, ‘Damn! That should never (be) in question,” Henderson said. “That’s who I am as a player; I’m explosive. I need to show that. So when he said that, it just ticked me off.”
The next game, against the Utah Jazz, Henderson had a driving dunk en route to his first NBA double-double (23 points, 10 assists). And the following game — Saturday against the Dallas Mavericks — Henderson recovered from a forgettable first half of wayward shots and mindless turnovers with a powerful third quarter that included a driving dunk that brought Moda Center fans out of their seats.
“That should be on display every night,” Billups said of the assertive athleticism. “Every night. No matter what … you play good, you play bad, that should be on display every night. You are incredible. You are explosive. Use it.”
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— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) December 17, 2023
The Blazers view Henderson’s explosive plays of late as another sign that he is beginning to settle into his rookie season. Henderson was hailed as a “transcendent” player by general manager Joe Cronin after he selected him No. 3 overall, and the organization trumpeted him as the face of a new era of young and promising players. But so far, the 19-year-old has shown his rise will be more of a project than instant production.
Henderson has struggled with foul trouble, his outside shot (37.1 percent shooting; 24.2 percent from 3) and an ankle injury that sidelined him for nine games. After starting his first five games, he has come off the bench for his last 10 and is averaging 11.1 points and 4.5 assists in 26 minutes. He ranks sixth among rookies in scoring and second in assists.
“I think Scoot is getting better every day, to be honest with you,” Billups said. “You can actually see the progress in the games. In the early part of the season he really struggled, and I thought most of his struggles came from him just wanting so badly to play well. So, he could never slow down.”
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Perhaps never has Henderson struggled more than during the first half of Saturday’s 131-120 loss to Dallas. He had head-slapping turnovers — his pass while leading the Blazers in transition was stolen by a trailing Derrick Jones Jr., and later, a cross-court pass was intercepted by Dante Exum. And Dallas, ever aware of his shooting struggles, dared him to shoot midrange jumpers, and both of his attempts were well off. After entering with Portland leading 29-17, Henderson was taken out with Dallas leading 46-39.
“I told him to just slow down,” Billups said. “I thought, in the first half, he was running too fast, with no intent, just throwing the ball everywhere. That’s why I had to pull him out.”
Part of why the Blazers are so effusive in their praise and belief in Henderson is his mental makeup. He doesn’t sulk, he doesn’t pout, and he never seems to lose confidence. Those traits were on display in Saturday’s second half, when Billups credited Henderson for igniting a Blazers comeback.
Henderson blocked a shot at the rim to ignite a fast break, and later, he poked the ball from Luka Dončić to start another fast break. There were still some mistakes — he botched a three-on-two fast break by charging into Tim Hardaway Jr. — and he got caught picking up his dribble, but the Blazers outscored Dallas by seven when he was on the court in the second half.
“His second half, his fight sparked us,” Billups said. “The block at the rim, he was emotional … he gave us a lift.”
There was a time, during the first of his two seasons playing for the G League Ignite, when Henderson came home to his apartment and got emotional. The competition was older, stronger and faster than anything he had played against. A game that had been so easy for him suddenly was a challenge, a grind. He broke down and cried.
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His first season in the NBA has been just as eye-opening, just as challenging as his wake-up call in the G League. But Henderson said his G League struggles hardened him and prepared him for today’s obstacles.
“That moment built me,” Henderson said, referring to the day he cried in his Nevada apartment. “It built me to be able to push through, to be resilient. This season, there was one time where I was like (to himself) ‘Come on! Come on!’ … but there hasn’t been nothing where I got too emotional. I think I’m past that.”
Billups endearingly refers to Henderson as his “project,” and much of his passion to help comes from seeing himself in Henderson. In 1997, Billups was selected third overall by the Boston Celtics, and just like Henderson, he struggled out of the gate.
“I’m telling him, if there is a person in this entire world who knows how you feel and who has been there in your shoes, it’s me,” Billups said.
Billups says he admires Henderson’s mindset. He doesn’t make excuses. He doesn’t look to blame. And he remains a team-first-oriented player.
“Scoot is so tough mentally … he’s the ‘I’m good’ kid,” Billups said. “There are no excuses, he’s fine. There’s a lot of things that I’ve talked to him about that will remain between us, but I can tell you that he’s a lot more mentally strong than I realized. Because he’s a big name. And he never imagined he would struggle at this part of the season.”
Henderson said he is encouraged by his growth in the nuances of the game. He said he better understands how to avoid fouls. He is learning how to use screens better on offense. And he has a better grasp on defense of when to go over, or under, a screen.
“He studies really hard,” Billups said, noting Henderson’s watching of film.
In Thursday’s game against Utah, Henderson said he had a moment of instant gratification. He had been focusing on better using screens to let plays develop, and against the Jazz, his patience paid off with an uncontested floater that he made.
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“I’m starting to make the right reads,” Henderson said. “It might be an easy kick pass, or me being able to get to the cup … or it could be just me getting the shot I want rather than taking the shot the defense wants me to take.”
It’s a process, one that will have hiccups and high points. Saturday against the Mavericks, there were both. During an interview about his season, Henderson was told it hasn’t looked easy.
“No. Not at all,” Henderson said. “But it’s getting easier. I’m just pushing through it.”
(Top photo of Scoot Henderson: Cameron Browne / NBAE via Getty Images)
