Blazers player who will shock NBA with breakout 2024-25 season

Henderson earned comparisons to Derrick Rose during the pre-draft process in large part because of his elite athleticism and combination of speed, explosiveness, strength, and jumping ability. Henderson has excellent ball handling skills as well and can cross up defenders anytime he has the ball. He does a great job of getting the defense off-balance, and then using the defender’s momentum against him.

Where Henderson can improve

The area in which Scoot Henderson can improve the most is his shooting, particularly from beyond the arc. In the modern NBA, this is one of the swing skills that separates elite players from average and even above-average players. It is certainly still possible for a guard to be very good without a particularly threatening stroke from beyond the arc.

However, not being able to shoot severely limits what a player can do on the court and caps their upside, especially for guards. It’s highly unlikely that we’ll see a player like Russell Westbrook or prime Derrick Rose again. Both of those players were the kind of guys who could control the game and dominate defenders due to their extreme athletic advantages.

However, both of these players were athletic outliers, and they also played in a very different era. Westbrook and D-Rose dominated the league in a time before Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors revolutionized the game of basketball by showing how lethal three-point snipers could be.

Curry, Klay Thompson and the Warriors changed the game of basketball forever. It’s unlikely that the league is going to go back to the way that it was, which is unfortunate for players like Henderson, whose style is reminiscent of a bygone era.

In years past, Henderson would have had a strong argument to be the first overall pick. However, the biggest weakness in his game is his outside shooting and that’s why he fell ever so slightly in the draft. It was known throughout the draft process that Henderson needed to improve his outside shooting if he wanted to reach his full potential.

Unfortunately, Henderson struggled as a shooter in his rookie season, and this predictively limited the impact he was able to have on the court. The Blazers coaching staff should have been working with Henderson to improve his shooting. With a full offseason of training under his belt, it wouldn’t be shocking to see a drastic improvement from the young guard.

Better shooting will unlock the rest of Henderson’s game

By improving his shooting and having a respectable pull-up jumper from beyond the arc, Henderson will be able to realize his full potential and unlock the rest of his game. Last season, defenses played off of Henderson when he had the ball while operating on the perimeter and dared him to beat them with his shooting.

If Henderson wanted to drive and get to the rim, he was at a disadvantage because the defense had extra time to react. This made Henderson’s drives less effective and really dampened his efficiency and ability to finish at the rim consistently.

If Henderson improves as a shooter to the point where defenders must come out and guard him on the perimeter, it will make it that much easier for him to leverage his game-breaking speed to blow by the defense and get to the rim. That’s ultimately where Henderson is at his best, and that’s the type of game that he wants to play.

This is why improving his shooting will make him a much more lethal offensive player in all facets of the game at that end of the court. It will also help Henderson improve what he already does best, in the area of the game where he is the most elite.

Tyrese Maxey’s breakout year can serve as a roadmap

If Henderson needs any inspiration, he can look to the City of Brotherly Love and Tyrese Maxey‘s breakout with the Philadelphia 76ers. Coming into the league, Maxey was known for his driving ability, but he was unproven and untested as a shooter.

It was the leap Maxey made as an outside shooter going into his sophomore season that helped him emerge as a star. The Blazers should be hoping for something similar from Henderson as he enters his second year in the league.

Honorable mention: Donovan Clingan

Donovan Clingan was the Blazers’ prized rookie Hoover team added with the seventh overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft. The Bristol, Connecticut native and former UConn Husky should be able to make an immediate impact in the league at the defensive end.

Coming out of college, the former Huskies star was credited for his selfless play, his intelligence and his ability to have an immediate plug-in play impact from day one.