The Portland Trail Blazers enter next season with an intriguing roster mixing veterans and young talent.
Their veteran core features stars Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday alongside Jerami Grant. The young core includes promising players like Donovan Clingan, Shaedon Sharpe, Yang Hansen, and Scoot Henderson.
The final name caught former player Jeff Teague’s attention as a potential breakout candidate.
Teague believes Henderson could duplicate Coby White’s dramatic improvement with the Chicago Bulls, jumping from modest production to legitimate scoring threat.
White’s transformation from 9.7 points per game to averaging 19.1 and then 20.4 in subsequent seasons provides the blueprint Teague envisions for Henderson.
“For some reason, I think he’s going to have one of them Coby White years. Do you remember how we all kinda wrote him off and I said, ‘he can’t dribble with his left hand.’ He came back and averaged 17 or 18, whatever it was,” Teague explained.
Henderson enters his third NBA season with the Blazers after being selected third overall in the 2023 Draft. Despite high expectations, his production declined during his sophomore campaign.
However, circumstances have aligned for potential breakthrough next season with increased opportunities and better support structure.
Anfernee Simons’ trade to Boston created the opening Henderson needs to assume primary ball-handling responsibilities.
This role change could significantly unlock his offensive potential, and Henderson can also share playmaking responsibilities with Hansen.
Holiday’s versatility allows him to play off-ball effectively, giving Henderson space to develop his point guard skills without competing for touches.
“I think this is the year for that. Simons is gone. They brought Dame back; that’s going to be a good person to work with. He’s probably going to help his jump shot a lot. Jrue Holiday is like a Swiss Army knife. He’s not an ‘I need the ball’ type of person. He will get off the ball and let Scoot play, and I think he needed that,” Teague explained.
Lillard’s return provides elite mentorship despite his injury keeping him sidelined. His guidance could accelerate Henderson’s shooting development and decision-making improvement.
The combination of increased responsibility, veteran mentorship, and reduced competition for ball-handling duties creates ideal conditions for Henderson’s growth.
