Blazers’ Scoot Henderson Shooting Numbers ‘Mildly Concerning’

In many drafts, Scoot Henderson could have been the No. 1 pick. But in 2023, Henderson entered the draft alongside Victor Wembanyama and a Charlotte Hornets team that didn’t want to pair him with fellow point guard LaMelo Ball.

That allowed the Portland Trail Blazers to take Henderson, an ideal player to take the torch from Damian Lillard as he likely has reached the end of his tenure with the franchise.

Henderson is arguably the best player the Blazers have drafted since Lillard and he could develop into a franchise guy, but he has some flaws that need to be fixed.

“His 2022-23 G League shooting numbers (27.5 percent from three and 76.4 percent from the line) are at least mildly concerning,” Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey writes.

In the NBA, it’s hard to be the best player on a team if you don’t shoot well. Considering the fact that Lillard is a 37 percent shooter from distance, Henderson will have to get a little bit closer to that mark if he wants to have a similar impact to that of Lillard.

That being said, Scoot doesn’t have to be Dame. He shouldn’t be expected to, even though he’s effectively replacing him. The two have similarities in their games, but they aren’t the same.

Lillard is that all-around playmaker, where Henderson is more of a driver with potential to become that all-around guy. In order to become that type of player though, those shooting numbers will have to look better.