NBA analysts' scathing criticism of Blazers' top prospect should raise alarms

After winning just 21 games last season, Portland Trail Blazers fans are probably eager for a positive offseason report about 2023 third overall pick Scoot Henderson. Henderson was expected to compete for Rookie of the Year last season, and was seen as the second-best prospect, despite falling to three.

Instead, he started the season injured and played poorly for most of the season before finishing the year on a high note.

Post-all-star break, he averaged a more respectable 16.6 points and 7.1 assists, although his 49.9% true shooting was alarmingly bad with the league average being 58%.

Usually point guards struggle during their rookie year and while Henderson was seen as NBA-ready thanks to his two seasons with the G League, he wasn't. That led to fans expecting that he would make big strides over the summer but according to True Hoop's David Thorpe (subscription required), that is not the case.

Thorpe was highly critical of his play over the summer, including his struggles on the defensive end and his issues finishing at the rim. If those are accurate criticisms of Henderson, then it spells trouble for the Blazers next season.

The Portland Trail Blazers' rebuilding hopes rest on Scoot Henderson's shoulders.

The Blazers have never been a free agent or trade destination, so they are often left to build through the draft. They previously drafted the likes of LaMarcus Aldridge and later Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, with the team often having success nailing their highly lottery selections. If Henderson struggles next season, then it calls into question whether he is the franchise player that many projected him to be.

Even if he does, it wouldn't necessarily be unprecedented for a point guard to still have a strong career, with many greats often being late bloomers. Ironically, Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups is the poster child of that.

He was a lottery pick by the Boston Celtics in the late 1990s, but it took six years and four teams for him to realize his full potential with the Detroit Pistons. It is important to note that Henderson will have played a season and a half before turning 21 years old, whereas Billups was 21 during the start of his rookie year.

All of that is to say that even if Thorpe is right about his lack of development during the offseason, there is still plenty of time for him to live up to his full potential. Of course, having a much better season is the best way for Henderson to quiet critics and reassure Blazers fans that he is the real deal.