Scoot Henderson is one of the most exciting guard prospects we have evaluated in the past several NBA draft classes.
He thrived when he suited up as a pro for the G League Ignite. The spotlight was especially bright during two thrilling exhibition matchups against the top basketball prospect in the world, Victor Wembanyama.
Henderson may live in the shadow of Wembanyama, the heavy favorite to hear his name called at No. 1 overall. But even Wembanyama has said that Henderson would be the NBA’s top prospect in any other class.
We still have Henderson projected at No. 2 overall in our latest mock draft. However, despite a poor performance during March Madness, some analysts believe the Alabama freshman may be the second-best prospect in the class.
Right when March Madness tipped, I headed to Las Vegas to see what the best 19yo in America, @thereal013, was up to for @GQSports. I asked if he’d understand if he fell to 3: “Nah. It’s not acceptable.” @PoohJeter @gleagueignite @nba https://t.co/FIxPQMnwVT
— Joseph Bien-Kahn (@jbienkahn) April 19, 2023
Henderson addressed these rumors to Joseph Bien-Kahn (via GQ Sports):
“When I ask what he thinks about a wave of NBA Draft experts dropping him to #3, behind Alabama star Brandon Miller, he stiffens up. ‘It is what it is. The NCAA Tournament is what’s going on right now. Obviously, I knew that was gonna happen. I knew people were gonna start talking a lot more about college,’ he says. He bounces the basketball he’s fiddling with against the court, shifting his weight from side to side as we speak. I ask if he’ll be okay with it if he does actually fall to #3 on draft night. ‘Nah,’ he says. ‘It’s not acceptable.'”
This was a fantastic feature from Bien-Kahn, who unearthed a lot of gems about what makes Henderson tick both on and off the court.
Frankly, this quote is anything but concerning. Henderson is speaking from a place of confidence.
Once the NBA draft lottery concludes and the order is decided, should the guard actually end up as the third pick in the draft, I’m more than willing to bet Henderson uses it as a chip on his shoulder to contribute at the highest levels for his new franchise.
