Scoot Henderson, the third overall pick of this year’s draft has finally arrived in Portland. The Blazers have a great asset added to their roster, as they anticipate Scoot’s rookie season. Though with talks around Lillard’s trade, Henderson might stand alone, having no veteran by his side such as Dame. Damian Lillard requested a trade from Portland recently, as the long-time Blazer will soon leave the franchise.
The team finished 13th in the West and has been struggling to find success in the playoffs since their shooting guard, CJ McCollum’s departure. Lillard who has been with the organization for 11 years has led the team to the Conference Finals at best, with multiple first-round exits.
Portland will lose all its veterans, as they’ll now look to rebuild. The Blazers have failed to form a successful team around their star player in recent years and is about time that they should part ways. This will open a new spot for a leader and scorer.
Damian Lillard might still be in Portland
As the Blazers continue to work together with Dame, finding a suitable destination for the 32-year-old. Lillard is a gifted scorer and a fantastic shooter. To spend his golden years trying to lead a team by himself, Dame would be missing out on better options. Though still, there is a chance that Lillard might end up on the Blazers if the front office cannot find a suitable trade partner.
Reporter: “How are you prepared to be able to handle [being the face of the franchise]?
Scoot Henderson: “I’m ready to embrace that.”
Scoot Henderson is ready to lead if Damian Lillard is traded 😤
(via @AaronJFentress)pic.twitter.com/lgWfXHzyKu
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) July 1, 2023
With his departure on hold, Scoot answered some questions about being the new face of the team. “I’m ready to embrace that”, said Henderson when asked about how he would handle being the new face of the Blazers. The youngster already looks ready for action. He has shown his potential playing in the G-League and how he can develop his talents in the future.
It will definitely be a long and tough process for the Blazers to rebuild, after being so close to the goal. While Henderson can become the primary scorer of the team, there will be quite some improvement areas on the roster for the organization to focus on. Portland will need a reliable rim protector, contributing forwards, and solid bench support.
Without Dame, it will be interesting to see how the Blazers move forward. Henderson isn’t as glorified as the number-one pick of his draft class but definitely has the potential to be named among the top players of the league one day.