“Giving Him the Keys to Portland”: Paul George Recalls His Rookie Season Mistakes to Help Ease Scoot Henderson’s Struggles

Portland Trail Blazers’ Scoot Henderson hasn’t had the perfect NBA start to his rookie season this year. The third overall pick of the 2023 draft has only played 5 games this regular season, averaging 8.8 points, 4.6 assists, and 2.2 rebounds with a 9.5% shooting range from the outside. Interestingly, stats also note that Henderson averages at least four turnovers and fouls per night, which is not a great way to begin his first footsteps on the NBA hardwood.

8x All-Star and current Los Angeles Clippers core Paul George completely understands and empathizes with the situation Scoot Henderson is currently in. On his show Podcast P, George had some words of encouragement for the young rookie, all while reflecting on the mistakes and opportunities he had, during his rookie year at the Indiana Pacers.

To encourage Henderson’s run through the rest of the season, George believes that the former G-League player has much to learn from the league. In fact, such mistakes give him a perfect position to hone his skills and become a franchise player for the Trail Blazers in the near future, just like George when he was with the Pacers.

Commenting on Henderson’s rookie season, George said,

“He’s in a perfect position right now as a player. Like, use this first year to intern, like, learn about the league, learn about officiating, learn about teammates, learn about yourself, what you need to work on, what you need to get more confident in. They are giving him the keys to Portland so like literally he can go out there and make mistakes.”

George retrospected on his own first five games in the league, wherein he could not attain the start that he had expected as a rookie. George could start in only 19 of his 61 games, averaging a measly 7.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.1 assists on 45% shooting.

It’s clear, as George highlighted, that Portland is ready to make bets on their rookie player. After Damian Lillard’s departure, the Trail Blazers surely would want to create a young core that could contend them for playoff positions and, perhaps, even a championship. Hence, for Scoot Henderson to make mistakes and learn could easily be allowed to slide as the franchise must have their faith in their third overall pick from the 2023 Draft.

Paul George retrospect on his rookie year with the Indiana Pacers

Paul George is often considered one of the best players in the Indiana Pacers’ five decades in the league. An article on Medium called for George to eclipse legends like Reggie Miller and Jermaine O’Neal’s greatness as well, which is indeed sufficed from George’s stats through his tenure with the franchise.

George was selected as a fifth overall pick by the Pacers, which indeed turned out to be lucky for them. Though the 8x All-Star departed from Indiana without significant team achievements on his resume, George can indeed be credited with leading his team to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals and facing off against the formidable LeBron James in the playoffs for three years straight.

George’s rookie season wasn’t quite the reflection of the player he would become in the later half of his career. In his debut game against the San Antonio Spurs, George scored only 4 points in 23 minutes of play, scoring from a 1-5 shooting. Though George’s rookie season averages were quite lackluster, he still made it to the All-Rookie Second Team in 2011. PG13 would tip off his rookie year only with a playoff loss against Derrick Rose’s Chicago Bulls in five games.

Scoot Henderson reflects a similar expectation and anticipation as Paul George to become a franchise player for the Trail Blazers very soon. Though his first five games in the league couldn’t leave a distinct mark, there is a high chance that the 2023 3rd overall pick might just about crack the code. George believes he needs to take the keys to the team, run the bench, and learn from these experiences to taste success in the near future.

This year, Scoot Henderson also faces the likes of Brandon Miller and Victor Wembanyama to win the coveted Rookie of the Year title. Perhaps if he can turn his performance around, maybe Henderson might as well be the next Damian Lillard for the Portland Trail Blazers.