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Blazers' Scoot Henderson makes bold guarantee for next season: 'I will win Rookie of the Year' – CBS Sports
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Scoot Henderson ended up falling to No. 3 in the 2023 NBA Draft earlier this summer, and he’s determined to make the two teams that passed on him regret their decision. During a video for Playmaker released on Monday, Henderson guaranteed that he will win Rookie of the Year and said he eventually wants to be the “best point guard to ever play in the game.”
The Portland Trail Blazers’ new point guard has been on the NBA radar since 2021, when he joined G League Ignite out of high school, and his success on the professional level as a teenager has only increased his confidence.
“My goal, obviously, is to win Rookie of the Year, and I will win Rookie of the Year,” Henderson said.
Later in the video he explained his approach to the game and why he has so much self-belief.
“That’s just a mindset, a manifestation that I kind of grew,” Henderson said. “Never doubted myself, you know, making sure I’m always putting good energy in the air, making sure I’m telling myself ‘I’m gonna have a great rookie season.’ I’m not saying I want to have a great rookie season, I’m gonna have a great rookie season. I’m gonna have a great career. I will have a great career and making sure that’s always in just past tense because it happened.”
“I will win rookie of the year”
Portland Trailblazers’ Scoot Henderson (@thereal013) didn’t take the traditional pathway to the NBA that most players do. As the youngest professional EVER in the G League he was able to not only figure himself out, but his game as well.
Watch… pic.twitter.com/HkMObZ6m4H
Henderson currently has the third-best odds to win Rookie of the Year, behind No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama and No. 2 pick from the 2022 draft, Chet Holmgren, who missed all of last season with a broken foot. Here’s a look at the lastest odds, per Caesars Sportsbook:
Victor Wembanyama
San Antonio Spurs
-120
Chet Holmgren
Oklahoma City Thunder
+250
Scoot Henderson
Portland Trail Blazers
+350
Brandon Miller
Charlotte Hornets
+1600
Cam Whitmore
Houston Rockets
+2000
Wembanyama is the favorite for obvious reasons; he’s one of the best prospects to ever enter the league and has the ability to make an immediate impact on both sides of the ball. Holmgren has a similiar build and skillset to Wembanyama, and also has the benefit of spending a year learning on the bench.
Henderson will likely have the ball in his hands more often than either of them, though, assuming the Trail Blazers trade Damian Lillard before the start of the season. He also has fewer injury concerns, which could come into play given the new rule that requires players to have appeared in 65 games to be eligible for major awards.
If you were just making a pick for the honor, you would go with Wembanyama. From a betting perspective, though, Henderson is probably the best value based on the current board.
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