- Scoot Henderson is not phased by Lillard drama
- No. 2 overall pick has big expectations for the 2023-24 season
- Lillard sweepstakes could turn ugly as training camp approaches
With the 2023-24 season quickly approaching, the Portland Trail Blazers are still looking for a resolution on their franchise star, Damian Lillard. But even as the likelihood increases that Dame will be on the roster come training camp, Blazers rookie Scoot Henderson isn’t letting any of the noise get to his head.
Speaking to The Oregonian’s Bill Oram, the no. 2 overall pick revealed his current thoughts on the Lillard drama and shot down any notion that it has changed his approach to the upcoming season: “It’s probably the best situation I could possibly be in, ever. I’m here to stay,” Henderson said. “I’m here to work. I’m here to come here and win some games. Never been focused on anyone else’s situation, ever.”
As some fans might remember, it was drafting Scoot that initially landed the Blazers in hot water with their franchise star. Lillard, and other team loyalists, wanted GM Joe Cronin to trade the pick for win-now veteran talent.
Needless to say, the Trail Blazers did what they thought was best and Henderson is now the next in line to inherit the keys from Damian himself.
Things Could Get Ugly In Portland
The relationship between Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers isn’t a typical one. Unlike the reality in other situation, there are mutual feelings of love and respect between Lillard, the city, and the organization. From top to bottom, Dame has a connection to the individuals there and he’s built an unbreakable bond after 11 years of excellence with the franchise.
Even so, Lillard still has years left on his deal and the Trail Blazers could leave his trade request completely unanswered if they wanted to. So if Lillard wants his best chance of a trade, he may have no choice but to play hardball and follow in the footsteps of James Harden, who has vowed to take extreme measures to force his way out of Philly.
Obviously, the Trail Blazers will be having to play through real games during his ongoing battle and it remains to be seen how the chaos will impact the performance of their young core.
Scoot Is The Future
As the no. 2 overall pick in 2023, expectations couldn’t be higher for Scoot Henderson, who enters the 2023-24 season as one of the game’s best young rookies. In 19 appearances for the G-League Ignite, Scoot averaged 16.5 points on 43/28/76 shooting splits to go along with 6.5 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 30.7 minutes
While obviously not on Dame’s level, Henderson will be the key to success for the Blazers next season. If he can become the star so many people believe he can be, it might be a lot easier for the Blazers to move on from Damian. In fact, with Scoot, Shaedon Sharpe, and Anfernee Simons in the backcourt, Lillard’s absence may help unlock development for their top young guys.
In the end, there is still reason to be optimistic if you’re a Blazers fan. But with so much uncertainty on the future and the high potential for disaster, it’s probably a good idea to brace for the worst and Scoot is already doing his best to manage expectations.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
