Over the last few weeks, it has become abundantly clear that Scoot Henderson might have a big presence on the Portland Trail Blazers in the new season.
Henderson was already likely to be a major part of the team because he was the third overall draft pick in June.
But when the team lost Damian Lillard, Henderson’s status on the team rose even more.
On Thursday night, he was on display as the Blazers faced off against the Phoenix Suns in a preseason game.
A video shared by NBACentral showed all of his highlights from the game, including a few great shots from the perimeter, some swift work in the paint, and great collaboration with his teammates.
Scoot Henderson is the real deal pic.twitter.com/FxFj0nAi2v
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 13, 2023
For the night, Henderson scored 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists.
However, the Blazers ended up losing to the Suns, 122-111.
Some fans are fearful that this could be the beginning of a pattern for the team in 2023-24: Henderson might play well and look flashy and fun but the team could still end up falling to opponents.
They are now officially in the post-Lillard era and things could be a bit rocky at times.
The video proves that Henderson might be a huge threat to competitors in a number of ways.
He moves with great speed, communicates clearly with his teammates, and can post shots from all over.
Of course, there is still room for improvement.
His three-point shooting could be enhanced (he was 2-of-5 from the floor on Thursday) and he needs to adjust to the defensive skills of other NBA teams.
However, Henderson has a lot of undeniable talent and is ready to shine brightly in the new season.
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