Jan 14, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups talks to Scoot Henderson (00) and Shaedon Sharpe (17) during the first half against the Brooklyn Nets at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images Soobum Im-Imagn Images

Blazers Coach Expects Young Guard to Have Breakout Season in 2025-26

Originally posted on Portland Trail Blazers on SI
By Nelson Espinal | Last updated Jul 15, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The Portland Trail Blazers are expecting an up-and-coming guard to have a breakout season in the upcoming season.

The Blazers moved Anfernee Simons, one of the team's young guards, for Jrue Holiday, so the team adds experience and defense while opening up ball-handling opportunities.

Holiday can operate as a secondary ball handler, but he demands less of the ball compared to Simons. This opens up a lane for Scoot Henderson to become the primary indicator.

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During an interview with ESPN, Portland's coach Chauncey Billups pinpointed Henderson as a breakout candidate.

"He had a tough year last year, only because he didn’t get to play basketball during the summer,” Billups said. “He was banged up; he was licking his wounds from the season.

“This year he’s been playing ball all summer, he’s been working on his game. Scoot is gonna take an incredible leap this year.”

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Henderson only started 10 games last season and mainly came off the bench. In terms of usage, he was only in the 56th percentile for guards, according to Cleaning the Glass.

He should get a sizable increase in his usage which gives him the chance to improve his numbers.

Even if he gets more chances to create, Billups will need to see an improvement in the guard's efficiency. Henderson's effective field goal percentage was 29th percentile.

As the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Henderson needs to show the Blazers that he is a future star. The 21-year-old gets the chance in the upcoming season.

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This article first appeared on Portland Trail Blazers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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