The Portland Trail Blazers have selected Scoot Henderson with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Henderson is a 6-foot-2 point guard that has spent the past two years playing for G-League Ignite. The Georgia native has been viewed as a top prospect in this class for some time, but the presence of Victor Wembanyama prevented him from seriously contending for the No. 1 overall slot.
Charlotte also passed on Henderson at No. 2 to take Alabama's Brandon Miller. That doesn't mean that Henderson is a consolation prize, though.
He is one of the more explosive guard prospects to enter the NBA in quite some time. Henderson should be able to get to the basket consistently in the NBA, and he can leverage those gifts with the ball in his hands to create good looks for teammates. Physically, he has all of the tools he'll need to be a strong defender in the NBA for years to come. Despite his relatively pedestrian height, he has a 6-9 wingspan that will make him one of the NBA's longer point guards. The only real skill question mark left for him is his jump shot. It has been shaky for most of his career as a prospect, but if he can make those looks consistently, there is no reason why he can't be an All-Star.
CBS Sports' Adam Finkelstein gave the Blazers an 'A' for their pick at No. 3:
This was the easiest pick in the draft, and the Blazers nailed it. They get a second high-quality building block alongside Shaedon Sharpe and expedite rebuilding without having to trade Damian Lillard. Henderson is an explosive playmaker and athlete whose skills should translate after two years in the G League.
The Blazers have been trying in vain to build a contender around Damian Lillard for over a decade now. The last two seasons in particular have been disappointing. Though Portland opened the seasons with playoff expectations, injuries and struggles forced them to emphasize youth and draft position down the stretch of each season. While this positioned them to select Shaedon Sharpe at No. 7 last season and make the No. 3 overall pick this year, it also put Lillard's future under a microscope.
It is no secret that the Blazers explored trade opportunities for this pick. They ultimately did not find a deal, and that puts them in an awkward position. Lillard is ready to win at the highest level right now, but he is on a roster filled with the youth and promise to compete down the line. Can he wait for these young players to improve? Or will Portland ultimately need to settle on either the present or the future with a blockbuster trade? These are the questions the Blazers will need to answer this offseason.
Now that Henderson is in the building, the Blazers will have a logjam in their backcourt. Finding enough touches for Lillard, Sharpe, Henderson and Anfernee Simons will be a challenge, and Portland will have to figure out whether or not it makes sense to keep them all. But for now, the Blazers have added one of the best players in this draft class.
