2023 NBA Draft Live Tracker: Grading every pick made
2023 NBA Draft grade: No. 3 pick Scoot Henderson, Portland Trail Blazers
G. USA. 34. Scouting Report. Scoot Henderson. 3. player. Pick Analysis
Grade: A
Henderson is the second-best player in the draft and an absolute home-run pick for Portland in the No. 2 spot. His fit with Damian Lillard is up for debate, but his strong frame and 6-foot-9 wingspan gives him underrated versatility on defense.
On the offensive end, Henderson is the bridge to the future beyond Damian Lillard. He’s a tremendous downhill scorer and confident pick-and-roll playmaker. He can bully smaller defenders en route to the rim and he’s as confident in his shot-making ability as any player in the league.
Henderson has been billed as a shoot-first guard and fairly so, but he’s a talented creators for other with real court vision. He collapses the defense on the regular and will really cause defenses headaches if Damian Lillard is spacing the floor for him.
How the Blazers proceed from here will the fascinating to watch.
From our NBA Draft Big Board:
"The twitchy 6-foot-2 guard was thrust right into a starring role for the G-League Ignite. He has room to grow as a decision-maker, but Henderson’s dynamic athleticism, three-level scoring, and flashes of on-ball defense cement his standing near the top of the draft board. He needs to trim the fat off his shot chart right now, but Henderson’s explosive live-dribble playmaking makes it easy to believe in him as a lead initiator and future star point guard. He would have been the No. 1 pick in 2022 – he’s that caliber of prospect. We haven’t seen such a well-rounded, hyper-athletic point guard enter the league in years."