How distant the time when a duel between Scoot Henderson and Victor Wembanyama electrified the NBA sphere. At the beginning of November, the Blazers traveled to Texas and the clash between the 1st and 3rd choices of the 2022 Draft, during which neither one nor the other shone much, did not generate any particular attention .
It must be said that the career of the leader of the Blazers is currently taking a trajectory well below expectations. While the Frenchman, like the second choice of this Draft, Brandon Miller, establishes himself as centerpieces of their respective team, the former Ignite player still does not manage to establish himself sustainably in the five of his team.
“ Some of the most valuable lessons are to not watch how others play. You should not wish to have this or that. I've known this for a long time, but I would say it's very useful for all the young players coming up “, he breaks away.
Become one of the best
Does he keep an eye on his Draft comrades to compare himself? “ Not at all, honestly. I'm keeping an eye on the league. If one of them stands out, I will see it, or when we confront it. I want to be one of the best in the league. I don't want to be one of the best young people. This is my goal “, he displays, always confident, to Hoopshype.
Considering his performances this year, down compared to his rookie season, there is still work to be done. His points average is down, his 3-point skill is not taking off (32%) and he loses a lot of balls (3) in relation to his playing time (26 minutes).
“ My next steps (to progress) will be to control the pace of the game and know when it's time for us to slow down and run our systems hard to buy time, or to get stops on defense, and to know when it's time to get a basket and play quickly », he analyzes.
Behave like a leader
The latter has rather a good management model at his side, in the person of Chauncey Billups, from whom he says he has already learned so much. In contact with the Hall of Famer, Scoot Henderson tries to behave like a leader.
“ It's about trying to guide guys to the right things in what they're doing and when they're wrong too. […] In the locker room, they show me a lot of respect. I think our young group is very united at the moment. We all have the same respect for each other », he reports.
Convinced that his Blazers will become “ quickly one of the best teams in the league thanks to our young core “, the leader has a wish: ” Giving the city a reason to come to the games and for fans around the world to rejoice that the Blazers are on the rise. »
| Scoot Henderson | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2023-24 | POR | 62 | 29 | 38.5 | 32.5 | 81.9 | 0.9 | 2.3 | 3.1 | 5.4 | 3.1 | 0.8 | 3.4 | 0.2 | 14.0 |
| 2024-25 | POR | 17 | 26 | 41.9 | 32.1 | 78.0 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 2.8 | 5.1 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 0.1 | 11.8 |
| Total | 79 | 28 | 39.1 | 32.4 | 81.1 | 0.8 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 5.4 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 3.3 | 0.2 | 13.5 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
