Here is a link that might just work a little bit better. An Eastern Conference scout said: “When you are drafting in the top five, the top three, bare minimum you want somebody you can throw in a starting lineup in a competitive NBA game and he’ll contribute. Scoot is far away from that point. So yeah, that’s a miss.” “It’s pretty simple,” one of the scouts said. “You looked at a kid in high school that was bigger, stronger, faster than everybody. He dominated with that and now he’s on a much more level playing field with all those traits. And now you’re seeing the lack of skill and even more concerning the lack of feel and basketball IQ, which you really need at that position.” Said another: “He’s so athletically gifted that nobody cared to slow it down and teach him, ‘Here’s how you actually play.’” https://web.archive.org/web/2025012...oot-henderson-busting-out-or-just-a-bust.html
If the Blazers are winning a bunch of games right now counting on Scoot being a star then they are fucking stupid. If they drafted Scoot expecting him to be a star then they were stupid. You don't decide to end the rebuild until you actually have your stars and you know they are going to be stars. We don't know that about any of our players. We are screwing up this rebuild big time, and we're putting far too much pressure on these young guys who are being handled wrong. And in doing so, we are screwing up our chance at landing a star in this upcoming draft.
I’d love to have a genius on here go back the past 10 drafts and look at the TOP 5 and see if this stands up. Did those 50 players get thrown in the fire from the start and how were their contributions? My uneducated, yet very aware view is that the vast majority did NOT. That might be what this scout WANTS to happen, but not sure how much it does.
I tried to find somebody in that article besides Blazer management that would say something positive but nada.... I think most of us still have hope for him though. He does seem to be showing that he can shoot and his turnovers are down and defense seems to be getting better. So maybe some of those guys haven't watched him lately?
well first, you'd have to delete the actual busts....which Scoot is not at this point. So you won't have a 50 player sample. Now, I don't know how this will work out so I'll do it in real time 2015: 5 - Mario Hezoonja = bust 4 - Porzingis - started every game his first two seasons - contributed; fits profile (1/1) 3 - Jahlil Okafor = bust (started 81 of 103 games first 2 seasons) 2 - D'Angelo Russell - started 108 of 143 game 1st 2 seasons - contributed; fits profile (2/2) 1 - KAT - started every game for 10 years - contributed; fits profile (3/3) 2016: 5 - Kris Dunn = bust for #5 (career back-up) still in league - doesn't fit profile (3/4) 4 - Dragan Bender = bust 3 - Jaylen Brown - started every game 2nd season; avg 6.6 pts as rookie - contributed; fits profile (4/5) 2 - Brandon Ingram - started 99-138 games in 1st 2 seasons - contributed; fits profile (5/6) 1 - Ben Simmons - started 160 of 160 games; ROY - contributed; fits profile (6/7) 2017: 5 - De'Aaron Fox - started 142 of 154 games - contributed; fits profile (7/8) 4 - Josh Jackson = bust 3 - Jayson Tatum - nuff said - contributed; fits profile (8/9) 2 - Lonzo Ball - started 95 of 99 games - bust by injury - but, contributed; fits profile (9/10) ?- this one debatable 1 - Markelle Fultz - bust 2018: 5- Trae Young - started every game in 7 seasons - contributed; fits profile (10/11) 4 - Jaren Jackson Jr. - started every game - contributed; fits profile (11/12) 3- Luca Doncic - nuff said - contributed; fits profile (12/13) 2 - Marvin Bagley = bust 1 - Deandre Ayton - yuck - contributed; fits profile (13/14) 2019: 5 - Darius Garland - started 109 of 113 games - contributed; fits profile (14/15) 4 - De'Andre Hunter - started 81 of 86 games - contributed; fits profile (15/16) 3 - RJ Barrett - started every game 1st two seasons - contributed; fits profile (16-17) 2 - Ja Morant - nuff said - contributed; fits profile (17/18) 1 - Zion Williamson - bust because of injury? - but, contributed; fits profile (18/19) 2020: 5 - Isaac Okoro - stated 128 of 134 games, but a statistical bust for #5 - doesn't fit profile (18/20) 4 - Patrick Williams - started 80 of 87 games, , but a statistical bust for #4 - doesn't fit profile (18/21) 3 - LaMelo Ball - started every game - contributed; fits profile (19/22) 2 - James Wiseman = bust 1 - Anthony Edwards - started every game - contributed; fits profile (20/23) 2021: 5 - Jalen Suggs - started 64 of 103 games - has become full time starter - not worth #5, barely - doesn't fit profile? (20/24) 4 - Scottie Barnes - started every game - contributed; fits profile (21/25) 3 - Evan Mobley - started every game - contributed; fits profile (22/26) 2 - Jalen Green - started every game - contributed; fits profile (23/27) 1 - Cade Cunnigham - started every game - contributed; fits profile (24/28) 2022: 5 - Jaden Ivy - started 134 of 151 games - contributed; fits profile (25/29) 4 - Keegam Murray - started 155 of 157 games - contributed; fits profile (26/30) 3 - Jabari Smith - started every game - contributed; fits profile (27/31) 2 - Chet Holmgren - started every game - contributed; fits profile (28/32) 1 - Paolo Banchero - started every game - contributed; fits profile (29/33) 2023: 5 - Ausar Thompson - started 50 or 86 games - doesn't really fit profile, (29/34) 4 - Amen Thompson - mostly has come off the bench, but contributed; fits profile (30/35) 3 - Scoot Henderson - started 39 of 100 games - doesn't fit profile (30/36) 2 - Brandon Miller - started every game - contributed; fits profile (31/37) 1 - Wemby - nuff said - contributed; fits profile (32/38) so, 45 players. 7 were actual busts. 32 of the remaining 38 fit the suggested profile of the scouts you are dismissing. Of those 32 players who fit the profile, just about all of them were "thrown in the fire" by starting most or all games. And of the 5, along with Scoot, who doesn't really fit the profile, two, Okoro and Williams started 94% of their games. And of the 3 remaining besides Scoot, Kris Dunn, Jalen Suggs, and Aussar Thompson, there may be a range of upside for a gauge I'm not really sure if being a starter is a complete gauge: Jalen Suggs - started 64 of 103 - 62% Ausar Thompson - 50 of 86 - 58% Scoot Henderson - 39 of 100 - 39% Kris Dunn - 50 of 130 - 38% but Scoot has averaged 28 minutes which seems like quite a bit of fire to me I think the scouts are right and you're wrong about the expectations for a top-5 pick and the higher expectations for a top-3 pick. Scoot has been a disappointment compared to his pre-draft hype and the expectations attached to a 3rd pick. But I sure don't think he's a bust at this point. More of a project which usually is a term reserved for big men. I still see significant upside for Scoot. But I also see the obstacles in his way that might keep him from meeting that upside it's also not like every pick is a Tatum or a KAT. Scoot may very well end up better than a lot of the top-5 picks who were opening night starters
You must be a rookie NBA fan. If a top-5 player ISN'T thrown into the fire (= plays a lot of minutes) in his rookie and 2nd years, he's either injured or a bust. When posters criticize Billups, sometimes someone says, why the hell did Billups play Scooter so much his rookie year. No one answers but the reason is, it's standard to play a #3 pick a lot, and expect him to be an adequate starter either early or late in his rookie year. I don't criticize Billups for having a conventional expectation for his #3 pick...which is the opposite of what you said, that it's normal to NOT play them a lot. Hey Wiz, thanks for all your hard work on that post. I agree that someday, Scooter will not be a bust. Meanwhile, he's taking his sweet time. Slow learner. Physical talent, but dumb.
There were a couple of things that stood out to me about Scoot in a good way today. First, he hung in there, even when he had stretches where he struggled with his shot or getting to his spots against good defense. He persevered and scored 25. Second, he had a couple of times where he adjusted his shot while getting fouled and got the ball up at the rim. He didn't get it to fall, but he almost got 3-point plays. Third, and biggest for me, was there were three or four times where the Thunder forced a switch that put Scoot on SGA and Scoot frustrated the heck out of him. Scoot's strength and quick feet made it impossible for SGA to get to his spots and it led to a couple of missed shots and a couple of turnovers. That was impressive for a second year guy facing probably this year's MVP.
Scoot has averaged 40% on 3-pointers since December 15th to today if we round up. If you don't want to round up, he's averaged 40% since the game following that (December 19th). From December 21st to today, Scoot has led the team in 3-point shooting % average. Is this expected weakness no longer a weakness? It hasn't been a weakness (on average) in over a month. Will this expected weakness actually turn into a strength? (or maybe it already has, on average) Especially, or at least, in comparison to his teammates.
Well, at the moment, he’s not being guarded on 3s so he can shoot them whenever he wants. He shot 11 today!
Pretty good point. When/if he becomes a solid threat from 3 they will start to take that away. Assuming the team they are playing is trying to win games.
Impressive that in his 4th pro year, he is starting to throw a fake while missing a layup, instead of straightforwardly missing the layup like a high school player who won't get a college offer. At this rate, the #3 pick will learn to make his layups by age 30.
. We all spent much time early last year debating if he would ever be a decent 3 pt shooter. I felt confident that he eventually would. But I did not think he would improve so quickly. Granted his 35.5% does not compare to players like Simons (up to 37%) despite the close shooting percentage—Ant's ability to shoot 3's off the dribble is much more difficult. But we don't need Scoot to shoot them off the dribble. He just needs to make them when he is wide open.
