Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson “ain’t it” according to a recent column by Athletic writer Jason Quick [subscription required]. Though he has written glowingly about Henderson in the lead-up to the season, Quick appears ready to dismiss Henderson’s chances to make a significant impact with the squad.
That assessment comes in a larger story about Henderson’s much-publicized move from the starting lineup to the bench in favor of teammate Sidy Cissoko this week. Quick reads into the move,
suggesting that it marks a significant referendum on Henderson’s ceiling in the NBA.
…the NBA is an unforgiving and oftentimes cruel business. It does not care if you are a good guy. It does not care if you work hard. And it does not care if you were once anointed a can’t-miss prospect.
Can’t defend? Coaches will hunt you in the playoffs. Can’t shoot? Defenses will sag and dare you to beat them. Can’t handle pressure? Enjoy this double-team.
Quick opines further:
…this is Year 4 for a No. 3 pick. He has been given the reins to lead the team more than once. He has been given opportunities to start more than once. And we have been teased with big playoff performances and impressive training camps, only to end up in the same place … here, struggling to justify what is clearly a bummer.
We all wanted Scoot to become the next big thing. We wanted to see that million-dollar smile splashed on billboards. Wanted to see his charisma explode in commercials. And we wanted to see the blur of him going coast-to-coast and dunking, then flexing.
But maybe we all need to be OK with Scoot being Scoot.
The article describes Blazers Head Coach Micah Nori as being forthright about the move, which Quick repeatedly terms a “demotion”. Nori frames it as a chance to get the ball in Henderson’s hands more. Quick also describes Henderson himself as unruffled by the transition, congenial as ever.
Nori underlines the point by showing support for his guard:
Scoot is going to help us win a lot of basketball games this year. I believe in Scoot Henderson. I honestly do. We are going to need Scoot, and he knows that.
So far this season Hendersonn is averaging 8.4 points, 1.5 assists, and 2.4 turnovers in 22.0 minutes per game, shooting 31.5% from the floor, 22.7% from the three-point arc.
