Scoot Henderson still can't do it

Luka Doncic did not bite at all on his initial dribble feint. The Slovenian rather stayed at a good distance, even inviting Scoot Henderson to send his 3-point shot. What the leader of the Blazers did, once again missing the target. His sixth miss of the evening behind the arc…

In the defeat against the Mavs, the rookie ended with a nightmare evening in terms of shooting: 10 points at 4/17, with 3 rebounds, 3 assists, but also 4 lost balls and as many fouls in 30 minutes.

In difficulty since the start of the season

“ I think Scoot really struggled. He took a lot of shots that weren't the ones we wanted. I think defensively he struggled a little. He likes to put pressure, but they were getting in front of him and putting pressure on the backs of our defense. This is where he had trouble “, can only see Chauncey Billups.

He adds, including the poor performance of the other rookie, Toumani Camara (14 points but… 6/20 on shots!): “ But it happens. They are young people. How can you learn if you don't have difficulty? »

The number 3 of the last Draft continues his learning in the heart of a relatively chaotic start to his career. First a starter, but having difficulty exceeding 10 points on average, he lost a little more of his rhythm by remaining three weeks in the infirmary due to an ankle injury.

Trust intact

Upon his return, the 19-year-old had to come to terms with the idea of ​​now being a backup as the more experienced Malcolm Brogdon took command of the Blazers' attack. Except that night, Brogdon was not there, and Billups still left Scoot Henderson on the bench. “ Except today, since Scoot came back, I think he's been very good […] with his pace, his defensive toughness and the difficult rebounds he takes », defends his coach.

The latter does not mention the catastrophic level of skill of his rookie. Almost incapable of converting an outside shot and sometimes losing control when attacking the circle, the former member of the G League Ignite averages only 33% success, including 18% at 3-points…

Imperturbable, the leader, whose priority is to “ create the game », says to keep confidence in himself. “ I rely on God and stay confident by praying and going to bed. I stay calm and move on to the next match. We still have a lot of matches to play. One can't affect you », he displays.

His partner at the back, Anfernee Simons, can attest to this. It took him a while to find consistency in his game. All my veterans told me that experience is the best learning. You can tell it to someone, but you have to experience it, over and over again, to understand it. », testifies the rear. This is precisely what his young teammate is experiencing.

How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.