Scoot Henderson Is Chasing Greatness, Has ‘It Factor,’ Blazers’ Chauncey Billups Says

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As the Damian Lillard era in Portland seemingly comes to an end, everyone inside the Trail Blazers’ organization hopes that the future with rookie Scoot Henderson is just as fruitful, if not better.

Selected No. 3 overall in June’s NBA draft, Henderson is one of the most heralded guard prospects to enter the league in some time and is best known for his unrivaled work ethic and athleticism.

And as a former All-Star and NBA champion, coach Chauncey Billups has been extremely impressed by what he’s seen from the 19-year-old thus far and expects him to special.

“He is chasing greatness, and when he gets there, he is going to find something else to chase,” Billups told Andscape’s Marc J. Spears “That is already who he is. That is his mojo. That is his superpower.”

Henderson averaged 16.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.5 assists in 19 regular-season games this past season while playing for the G League Ignite, where he competed against NBA players and hopefuls.

Once seen as the consensus second-best player in the draft class behind Victor Wembanyama, he was ultimately usurped by Alabama’s Brandon Miller, who exploded on the collegiate stage and was taken No. 2 overall by the Charlotte Hornets.

Now, he’s ready to show the rest of the NBA world that their loss is Portland’s gain. He’s been a sponge so far, taking in whatever knowledge and wisdom Billups has to offer.

“It’s a blessing that I’m here,” Henderson said. “Like, God does everything for a reason and he put me and coach Chauncey together for a reason. And I’m just blessed to learn from him every single day. I’m always all ears whenever he’s talking and I’m always just trying to pick his brain, really.

“So, whenever I get a chance to sit down with him, it’s a good conversation. It’s crazy that I’m being coached by him.”

Billups, 46, is entering his third season as coach of the Trail Blazers. As a five-time All-Star and a Finals MVP with the Detroit Pistons in 2004, he knows what it takes to be a great guard in this league.

He also knows the trials and tribulations of being such a high selection, having been drafted No. 3 overall himself by the Boston Celtics in 1997.

And although Billiups struggled over the first several seasons of his career, bouncing around a few organizations before making a huge impact in Detroit, he’s confident in the support system that Portland will surround Henderson with, even potentially without Lillard—who’s made a trade request to join the Miami Heat.

He wants to bring the young star along at the right pace.

“We don’t know how the Dame situation is going to play out,” Billups said. “But you got [Anfernee] Simons over here who I’ve also been pouring into the last couple of years. If you look at where he is at this point of his career, I think it will be a great opportunity. If it is that way, Scoot can learn from Ant similar to how Ant learned from Dame. So, I don’t think the urgency is there at all …

“[Simons] is All-Star potential, All-Star close already. There are some people that [Henderson] can learn from, which is great.”