The Portland Trail Blazers made the decision this summer to move on from superstar guard Damian Lillard and make rookie point guard Scoot Henderson the new face of the franchise moving forward.
Even though Lillard had led this franchise for over a decade and is beloved in Portland, the team thought a youth movement was the right way to go, as Henderson looks like the real deal in terms of a young player the team can build around.
With Henderson being groomed to be the new face of the franchise in Portland, head coach Chauncey Billups, who was also a No. 3 overall pick in the NBA Draft, has bought in and is ready to give Scoot the support that he never got when he came out on college.
Billups is ready to be Henderson’s mentor, as he told Marc J. Spears of ESPN via ClutchPoints.
“I told him, ‘I’m going to be what I needed as the third pick in the draft at 20 years old. I’m going to be that guy for you.’ I promised him that."
Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups on what he told Scoot Henderson heading into his rookie year 🙌
(via @MarcJSpears,… pic.twitter.com/lIGyL8r9JI
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 18, 2023
Even though Billups has yet to prove himself as a head coach, it seems as though there’s no one better suited to teach Henderson the way to avoid going in the direction he did to start his career in the league.
Although Billups turned out to be a great player and won an NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons, it took him quite some time before he found his place in the NBA and was able to thrive.
Billups clearly doesn’t want Henderson to go the same route and is prepared to support his new star in any way he can, which bodes well for the rookie’s future in Portland.
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