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The NBA released its 2024 All-Rookie team on Monday, which featured an standout group of rookies including Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, and Brandon Miller. But one name that was missing from the list was Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson.
Here is a look at the teams:
The 2023-24 Kia NBA All-Rookie First Team:
Chet Holmgren of @okcthunder
Jaime Jaquez Jr. of @MiamiHEAT
Brandon Miller of @hornets
Brandin Podziemski of @warriors
Victor Wembanyama of @spurs
The 2023-24 Kia NBA All-Rookie Second Team:
Keyonte George of @utahjazz
GG Jackson II of @memgrizz
Dereck Lively II of @dallasmavs
Amen Thompson of @HoustonRockets
Cason Wallace of @okcthunder
Henderson received one first-place vote with 31 second-place votes. Fellow Blazers rookies Toumani Camara and Duop Reath got a pair of second place votes as well.
Henderson, the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, was the highest pick to miss out on the NBA All-Rookie teams. The top pick Wembanyama and 2022’s No. 2 pick Holmgren were the only unanimous selections.
Scoot averaged 14 points per game for the Blazers this season. He also dished out 5.4 assists and grabbed 3.1 rebounds per game. After a miserable start to the season, Henderson found his footing as the year rolled on. Over his final 25 games, Scoot averaged 17 points on 41 percent shooting. Over his final 12 games, he scored 19.3 points and dished out 8.3 assists while shooting 40 percent from behind the 3-point line.
Ultimately, Henderson’s rookie season is a Rorschach test of NBA stats. Henderson statistically performed better than Keyonte George and Cason Wallace – two players that made the second team, but also had the sixth-worst plus/minus this season at -495. He also averaged 3.4 turnovers and had a PER of 9.5.
Hopefully for Blazers fans, Henderson uses the snub as motivation and has his sights set on winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player award next season.
Blazers coach Chauncey Billups not with Scoot Henderson long-term?
In many respects, Blazers coach Chauncey Billups is the perfect coach for Scoot Henderson. As a point guard who was selected third-overall, looked like an early bust, and ended up as an NBA Finals MVP who made the Hall of Fame, Billups has walked the walk.
But there have been whispers about Billups’ job security with the Blazers this offseason.
During team exit interviews conducted at the Blazers’ practice facility in Tualatin, Portland GM Joe Cronin made it clear that, despite Portland’s poor record, head coach Chauncey Billups would be back with the team next season.
Said Cronin when asked about the Blazers’ head coaching position, “We are committed to Chauncey next season.”
But earlier this month, the Blazers elected to not renew the contracts of assistant coaches Scott Brooks and Rodney Billups, Chauncey’s brother. There’s no word on whether Billups will be able to choose replacement coaches or if this is a bit of a shot across the bow at a coach that has struggled greatly in his first three seasons in Portland.
Billups has one year remaining on his contract, plus a team option for the following season. There are whispers among league sources that Billups desires a contract extension and does not want to head into next season as a lame duck, something that happens rarely in the NBA anymore.
But the Blazers, who are all but assured of another losing season, are unlikely to offer Billups the security that he desires. While it was a bit of a surprise when Billups’ name popped up in conjunction with the Phoenix Suns’ head coaching job, that would seem to indicate that all isn’t copacetic in Rip City.
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