2023 NBA Draft grades: Scoot Henderson goes to Trail Blazers with No. 3 overall pick

The Portland Trail Blazers have chosen Scoot Henderson with the No. 3 total decide within the 2023 NBA Draft. Henderson is a 6-foot-2 level guard that has spent the previous two years taking part in for G-League Ignite. The Georgia native has been seen as a high prospect on this class for a while, however the presence of Victor Wembanyama prevented him from critically contending for the No. 1 total slot.

Charlotte additionally handed on Henderson at No. 2 to take Alabama’s Brandon Miller. That does not imply that Henderson is a comfort prize, although.

He is likely one of the extra explosive guard prospects to enter the NBA in fairly a while. Henderson ought to be capable of get to the basket persistently within the NBA, and he can leverage these items with the ball in his fingers to create beauty for teammates. Bodily, he has the entire instruments he’ll have to be a robust defender within the NBA for years to return. Regardless of his comparatively pedestrian top, he has a 6-9 wingspan that may make him one of many NBA’s longer level guards. The one actual talent query mark left for him is his leap shot. It has been shaky for many of his profession as a prospect, but when he could make these appears to be like persistently, there isn’t a purpose why he cannot be an All-Star.

CBS Sports’ Adam Finkelstein gave the Blazers an ‘A’ for his or her decide at No. 3:

This was the best decide within the draft, and the Blazers nailed it. They get a second high-quality constructing block alongside Shaedon Sharpe and expedite rebuilding with out having to commerce Damian Lillard. Henderson is an explosive playmaker and athlete whose expertise ought to translate after two years within the G League.

The Blazers have been attempting in useless to construct a contender round Damian Lillard for over a decade now. The final two seasons specifically have been disappointing. Although Portland opened the seasons with playoff expectations, accidents and struggles pressured them to emphasise youth and draft place down the stretch of every season. Whereas this positioned them to pick out Shaedon Sharpe at No. 7 final season and make the No. 3 total decide this 12 months, it additionally put Lillard’s future below a microscope.

It’s no secret that the Blazers explored commerce alternatives for this decide. They in the end didn’t discover a deal, and that places them in an ungainly place. Lillard is able to win on the highest stage proper now, however he’s on a roster crammed with the youth and promise to compete down the road. Can he look forward to these younger gamers to enhance? Or will Portland in the end must decide on both the current or the longer term with a blockbuster commerce? These are the questions the Blazers might want to reply this offseason.

Now that Henderson is within the constructing, the Blazers could have a logjam of their backcourt. Discovering sufficient touches for Lillard, Sharpe, Henderson and Anfernee Simons can be a problem, and Portland must determine whether or not or not it is sensible to maintain all of them. However for now, the Blazers have added among the finest gamers on this draft class.