Its about that time to start looking at NBA prospects, and what they can bring to an NBA team, and also what separates them from other NBA prospects. As 2023 just hit, certain NBA front offices are going to approach the February 9th trade deadline, and decide what route they believe is best to take for the future of their franchise. Some front offices may come to the realization that there roster does not have a very appealing future, and that they may need to rebuild their roster around a young, hopeful future superstar caliber player that they can find through the draft. Scoot Henderson certainly is that player. Let’s take a deep dive into Scoot Henderson, and what he can offer to an NBA team.
Meet The Prospect: Scoot Henderson (Guard, 6’2, G League Ignite)
Currently projected to go 2nd in the 2023 NBA Draft, falling behind the very intriguing prospect Victor Wembanyama, Scoot is being extremely overlooked. It is safe to say that Scoot Henderson would go first overall in the last 3 drafts if we was eligible to be drafted during those years. Let’s take a deep dive into Scoot Henderson, and why he is soon to be an NBA superstar.
Offensive Skillsets
Scoot Henderson is averaging 19.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 6.5 APG, shooting 52.5% from the field, and 33.3% from 3 and pocketing nearly a steal a game. Scoot Henderson is a versatile scorer, but his most impressive skillset on offense is getting to the rim. His quick first step is absurdly quick and he uses it to attack the rim or to even just make the right play. Scoot’s athleticism is super impressive and is able to finish through contact high up in the air. A common issue for prospects who are super fast is that they are too fast for their own good and are not able to slow their pace down once they get to the rim, which causes them to miss the inside shot. That is not the case for Scoot, as he is able to change his pace of speed super well and is extremely calm and unfearful when driving to the hoop. Not to mention his build and how strong he is. Scoot uses his upper body strength as another helpful weapon to get past defenders.
Active Defender With A Burst Of Energy
Scoot Henderson’s defense may be his most underrated skillset of his game. Scoot has high defensive IQ, as he is able to defend both on and off the ball. Scoot gives his initiator a drastically tough time. Scoot has extremely fast hands and can pick pocket his initiator in just a split second if the opportunity is there. He reads defenses so well and uses his speed to catch a long distance pass in time, leading to a fast break energetic slam. He turns defense into offense almost like no prospect we have ever seen. Him just being 18 years old and not even in the NBA yet, It’s hard to imagine how lethal Scoot will be on transition in just no time. Scoot has no fear and loves the thrill of guarding the opposing teams best scorer.
What Could Scoot Henderson’s Ceiling Look Like?
Its effortless to watch Scoot Henderson and not see a high potential NBA player in the near future. Scoot in the past months has had worries about his 3 point shot and how it will need to be much more efficient in the NBA to be viewed as a valuable player. Those conversations were before the start of the 2022-2023 G league season, when he was shooting nearly 20% from 3. He has raised that by 13% in just this year while shooting over 52% from the field. Very efficient if you ask me. As he is only 18 years old, if he puts in the work with his current and future coaching staff, he will without a doubt be considered one of the most efficient players in the NBA. People tend to compare Scoot Henderson to Derrick Rose when he was a prospect. Although, they do have similar playstyles, Scoot Henderson certainly has a higher ceiling than any particular player you can compare him to. Scoot has 3 level scoring potential, generational athleticism, high defensive IQ with quick hands and high energy, a good read for the game to be able to make the right dish to an open teammate, an early NBA ready build and much more. You truly can’t get much better than that.
Summary
Scoot Henderson looks to be a lock for a top 2 pick in this upcoming NBA draft. It may be extremely challenging to pass Victor Wenbanyama in the mock drafts due to Victor’s Frightening height, wingspan and elite 3 point shooting, but that should not change the fact that scoot is also a generational prospect. Any NBA front offices who are looking for a franchise cornerstone to build their team around has the perfect opportunity to do so by drafting Scoot Henderson. His skillsets are extremely fascinating and you can run just about any offensive system if Scoot Henderson is the point guard running the show.
TheDyspatch 