Why Is Scoot Henderson Spending More Time On The Bench Than On The Court?

Third pick in the 2023 NBA draft. Anticipated to take over the heir that once belonged to Lillard. Still sitting on the bench?

Scoot Henderson was the third overall pick during the 2023 NBA draft. The 21 year old anticipated superstar graduated high school at age 17 to go on to play for the G-League Ignite team. The pressure was handed to Henderson the moment he was picked by the Portland Trail Blazers. Lillard had just been traded to play for the Milwaukee Bucks. The heir became available to younger player with high expectations and exceptional qualities. So why is Henderson still stuck on the bench? Did the Blazers make a mistake by drafting him?

From the beginning, Henderson has expressed that he isn’t letting the pressure of filling Lillard’s shoes affect him. He is focused on being himself and performing under his own spotlight. Even so, he has a lot of room for improvement to become the star he is anticipated to be. The Blazers can accelerate this by increasing his playing time. 

Coach Billups would benefit from prioritizing the development of Henderson rather than focusing on short term wins for the remainder of the season. Billups is expected to make this his final season with the Blazers. This has made his recent coaching seem more like a tryout for his next job, rather than prioritizing the Blazers’ long term future after he departs. Playing Henderson for an additional 30 minutes a game would extremely benefit his own development and the future of the team.