The Blazers Have A PG Problem With Henderson And Holiday

The Portland Trail Blazers sent Anfernee Simons to the Boston Celtics in a trade for Jrue Holiday. The veteran’s arrival could be a problem for the Blazers and young guard Scoot Henderson in Chauncey Billups’ system.

The Blazers Have A PG Problem With Henderson And Holiday

The Trail Blazers have had many talented guards play in the Pacific Northwest. Damian Lillard headlines that group of players, but they also had Simons and Henderson as his successors. Unfortunately, the Blazers have had a logjam at point guard since Lillard left.

The first issue was Simons getting in Henderson’s way, leaving the former G League Ignite guard to come off the bench. Now that Simons is on the Celtics, Henderson should have a pathway. However, Holiday was the other piece in the trade, and he plays at the one spot.

Billups Might Favor Holiday As The Blazers’ Starting Point Guard

Although Holiday is 35, he remains a productive point guard. In 62 games in the 2024-25 season, he averaged 11.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. That is still an impressive stat line, especially since he also plays elite defense.

Throughout Billups’ four-season stint with the Trail Blazers, he has favored the veteran. That happened with how he used Simons in front of Henderson and his reliance on Jerami Grant. Due to the latter’s injuries, Toumani Camara and Deni Avdija received starter minutes, but that’s another positional logjam.

In 2025-26, Henderson should be a starter. He is entering his third season, and as a top prospect in the 2023 NBA Draft, he deserves starter minutes. With Holiday on the team, that might not happen due to the expectations set by his three-year $104 million contract.

Portland can buck the trend and make Holiday come off the bench, but that might make him disgruntled. Billups’ plan for Holiday must strike a balance between being a productive player and a mentor to the younger guard.

Henderson Must Get More Opportunities As A Starter