Same here! So many examples in that article of why I think he becomes an absolute stud in the near future!
From The Athletic's team grades today by Sam Vecenie (Portland got an A+): I had Henderson at No. 2 on my board, and he was in a tier to himself below Wembanyama and ahead of everyone else. To get him at No. 3 is an enormous moment for the Blazers. He’s going to be an exceptionally hard problem to solve for defenses from day one because of how well-rounded he is in ball-screen actions. He can pull up and hit floaters, he can get all the way to the rim and finish with authority or touch, he can play slow or fast, and he can make high-level passing reads. He’s explosive but balanced as an athlete. He’s going to force the action in transition and drive easy points, as well as be the guy who immediately sets the tone for your organization due to his competitiveness and drive. He’s one of the best guards I’ve evaluated, and I completely buy him as a long-term All-Star. (My emphasis added.) I don't know who Sam Vecenie is, exactly, but that's pretty high praise.
Same guy did a video about Scoot a few months back. They really broke his game down. They’re huge fans.
I think we were all surprised by Sharpe’s defense early. The responsibility will be on Billups to push him to play elite defense quickly. The blueprint for Sharpe is the blueprint for Scoot. Scoot is so athletic, I don’t know why he can’t become Davion, Jrue, or even Smart eventually. He’s also going to be just as good cutting as Shaedon if he focuses on it (especially if Draymond ends up on the team). Defense and cutting when they play with Dame, that keeps them on the floor. I’m so excited to see them play together. I want to see both guys just hound the opposing backcourt. Mays and Thybulle are both good enough as third string guards to back them up.
This is a funny thought, but I thought to myself, if Scoot could play GPII defense, he could basically be GPII on defense + an AS guard’s offensive skill. Coming off the bench, it makes sense for him to hustle on defense, find easy baskets (maybe even off lobs from the dunker spot like GPII did), and initiate a few plays with Dame on the court.
Watching video of Scoot, the player he reminds me of most is a young Kevin Johnson. He was so good at getting into the paint and passing or scoring. Great at changing speeds.
Yes, that's one reason guys like Sam Vecenie love him. He doesn't just play at one speed. He's got multiple speeds he can shift into. Vecenie said he doesn't like smaller players in general, but Scoot is so good he has to make an exception for him.
