Former No. 3 pick Scoot Henderson of the Portland Trail Blazers hasn’t played this season because of a torn hamstring. Henderson is still on the road to recovery and has provided a concerning update regarding his return.
Speaking to The Athletic’s Jason Quick, Henderson revealed that his season debut for the Blazers is not yet imminent. He is making progress, but he’s still far from getting cleared to participate in more team activities. He tagged himself as “week-to-week,” instead of the usual “day-to-day” designation.
“I can walk around to spots, but no jumping, no exploding. I shoot free throws, some ball handling, but without moving much,” Henderson said.
Being unable to make sharp movements is worrying, considering general manager Joe Cronin told reporters on media day that Henderson’s timeline could be from four to 10 weeks. It has been eight weeks since the injury happened, so it’s nearing the maximum timeline. However, the Blazers are not going to rush their 21-year-old point guard.
Henderson Felt Positive During Media Day
Scoot Henderson suffered a torn hamstring just days before training camp during a private workout. Henderson told reporters during media day in late September that he was feeling positive despite the setback.
“I’m feeling good. My head is where it always is, controlling what I can. Obviously, it’s a little, minor setback. But things like this, you come back stronger than ever. It’s obviously tough when you go through the offseason and (work) really hard and then freak, weird accidents happen. But I’m just blessed. It could be worse than it is,” Henderson said, via Blazers On SI.
Henderson is coming off a down season compared to his rookie campaign. He averaged 12.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.0 steals in 66 games played. He only started 10 games under coach Chauncey Billups, who preferred to bring him off the bench.
Henderson Part of Proposed Trade to Jazz
The Portland Trail Blazers are doing well without Scoot Henderson at the start of the season. The Blazers are entering Wednesday’s game against the Chicago Bulls with a respectable record of 6-8.
Deni Avdija is poised to have a breakout campaign, with an All-Star selection as a possibility. Shaedon Sharpe has also taken the next step, improving his scoring this season. Donovan Clingan, on the other hand, has locked into the center position, while Toumani Camara has impressed at power forward.
According to Reese Kunz of Rip City Project, the Blazers are poised to make a run at Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz on the trade market. Kunz suggested the following trade:
Blazers receive: Lauri Markkanen
Jazz receive: Jerami Grant, Scoot Henderson, Kris Murray and 2 first-round picks
“This team is trending towards Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe as their two primary offensive initiators. Jrue Holiday is also still proving to be a capable playmaker and lead ballhandler at age 35, which should make Henderson relatively more expendable. Not to mention, Damian Lillard‘s anticipated return in 2025-26 would help offset Henderson’s departure,” Kunz wrote.
The Blazers were dealt a bad hand at the start of the season, when coach Chauncey Billups was arrested as part of the FBI’s probe into sports gambling. They named Tiago Splitter as the interim coach.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Blazers’ Scoot Henderson Provides Worrying Update on Injury Recovery appeared first on Heavy Sports.