The NBA released its all-rookie teams on Monday and Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson was not included on either the first team or the second team.
Henderson, the third overall selection in the 2023 NBA Draft, had an uneven rookie season, but the 6-foot-2 point guard still ranked first among rookies in assists at 5.4 per game and fifth in scoring among rookies at 14 points per game.
The Blazers rookie guard got off to a slow start. Through his first six games, he averaged 7.8 points and 5.0 assists and shot 32% from the field and just 8% from the 3-point line. But he showed steady improvement the rest of the season, averaging 14.7 points and 5.5 assists over his final 56 games, improving his shooting percentages to 39% from the field and 35% from 3.
Henderson’s best stretch of his rookie season was over his final 15 games, when he averaged 18.3 points, 7.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 33.5 minutes per game, shooting 42% from the field and 39% from distance.
For the season, he finished with averages of 14.0 points, 5.4 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 0.8 steals in 28.5 minutes per game. His most glaring weaknesses as a rookie were his shooting percentages (39% on field goals; 33% on 3-pointers; and 82% from the free-throw line) and high turnover numbers (he averaged 3.4 for the season, which was second among rookies).
