Scoot Henderson Boasts Confidence Against Former MVP

With the preseason underway, we are now getting our first real look at the talent and potential of the 2024 rookie class. One such rookie is the 3rd overall pick, Scoot Henderson, who looks to be the new face of the Trailblazers post Damian Lillard.

Scoot's Confidence

The 2024 rookie class appears to be one of the most stacked classes in recent years, with generational talent Victor Wembenyama and college standout Brandon Miller in the fold. However, Scoot stands out among them all with his confidence and muscle mass, making him appear like a seasoned veteran before even playing a single competitive match in the NBA.

Henderson seems almost instantly ready for the NBA and put on an impressive display, scoring 22 points in a preseason match against the Phoenix Suns and former MVP Kevin Durant.


Many rookies and young players often find themselves in awe when playing against one of the all-time greatest players such as Durant, but Scoot held his composure and played a solid game. In his post-match interview, he was asked about playing against Durant, to which he replied, "I ain't gonna be starstruck."

Scoot Henderson, asked whether he was starstruck playing against Kevin Durant: "Nah. I ain't starstruck. I ain't gonna be starstruck, either."— Sean Highkin (@highkin) October 13, 2023

G-League Ignite

Perhaps part of the reason for Scoot's confidence is that last season he played for the G-League Ignite. While most of his draft class peers played in college, Henderson was training and playing against fully grown men in the G-League, receiving NBA-level coaching as opposed to NCAA-level coaching. This has proven to be a factor in toughening up younger players in the past, as Luka Doncic and LaMelo Ball both played overseas in men's professional leagues before being drafted.

Scoot is the first high-profile name to be drafted out of the Ignite, setting a good precedent for future high school stars who wish to receive NBA-level coaching, get paid to play, and still remain draft eligible. Last season, Henderson averaged 14.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists.


New Look Trailblazers

After 11 seasons as the perennial star in Portland, Damian Lillard was traded away. While Malcolm Brogdon is still likely to be traded away for even more assets, the Lillard trade has so far hauled in Deandre Ayton, Robert Williams, Toumani Camara, 3 first-round picks, and 2 pick swaps.

This shows that Portland is fully committed to a rebuild and will give Henderson lots of time to develop and become the potential superstar that many predict him to be.

The Western Conference is very deep, and it is unlikely that the Trailblazers will make the playoffs this season, with sportsbooks predicting them to win around 28-29 games. This is less than last season's total, where they managed 33 wins for the season.

Credits
Sportskeeda