Scoot Henderson Sets His Sights On The Rookie Of The Year Award

After their loss to the Golden State Warriors last Saturday, Portland Trail Blazers rookie Scoot Henderson set his sights on a lofty prize. The third overall pick remarked that he’s “trying to get Rookie Of The Year”. He further stated: “That’s still my goal. That’s still up in the air, I think.”

To this point, San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama and Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren have dominated the Rookie Of The Year race. Other rookies have had great seasons, but nobody’s been able to challenge the all-star level impact of these two Western conference 7-footers.

However, we aren’t even halfway through the season. Nothing’s set in stone yet, and Henderson seems to know this.

The 19-year-old point guard experienced a slow start to his NBA career. He totaled just 33 points in his first four performances, then went down with an ankle injury in Portland’s win in Detroit, Henderson’s fifth game. He then missed the Blazers’ next nine contests. They won just one of those.

But since returning from this setback on November 22nd, Henderson has been playing improved basketball. He’s averaged 13.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 0.6 steals per game while the Blazers have won five of these and dropped 11. These are solid numbers for a rookie point guard. However, the scoring efficiency hasn’t quite been there yet; he’s posted a TS% of 46.7 during this stretch.

This scoring efficiency, particularly within the three-point arc, has been a continuous struggle. But with added opportunity, Henderson has put up gaudy numbers these past three games. He’s scored 17, 25, and 22 points along with 11, 4, and 11 assists respectively.

Inefficiency isn’t uncommon for young small guards. In Henderson’s case, he’s still sharpening his reads and offensive process while physically adjusting to NBA defense. As he gains a better of understanding of how to weaponize his athleticism and skills he’ll become a more efficient scorer. He’ll also grow physically.

With this current inefficiency, it’s hard to place Henderson’s impact alongside Wembanyama’s and Holmgren’s. It is a long season, though. If Henderson can rapidly become a more efficient offensive creator, there’s no telling what can happen in the Rookie Of The Year race.