NBA G League Ignite point guard Scoot Henderson said he won’t accept being the third pick in this year’s draft.
“Yes, I think I should be selected first. I know I will be the first,” Henderson said.
Henderson has made it clear that not taking the usual route to the NBA may have an impact on his position. After all, the prospect chose to compete in the G League Ignite rather than in college.
But, Henderson got the desired prominence, but the college basketball playoffs steal the show in March. In 19 G League games, Henderson averaged 16.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.5 assists.
According to ESPN pundit Jeremy Woo, Henderson’s game is impressive but not complete.
“His strength, speed and scoring instincts scare opponents. So he should impact NBA games right from the start.” Woo said.
“However, how much he improves as a shooter, playmaker and defender will determine how good he will be. His season at Ignite hasn’t gone as we’d hoped, but he will still be the first point guard drafted,” Woo added.
“Firstly, Henderson is simply a nonsensical athlete. He’s been long compared to guys like Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose, Ja Morant, and with his highlight reel, those aren’t unfair comparisons.” Parker said.
Draft Digest’s Derek Parker took a deep-dive into the point guard’s game to find the answer following the issue.
“He’s got all the buzzwords: burst, insane first step, verticality. And he uses each of those to his advantage in a variety of different ways: driving by defenders, getting out in transition and skying for lobs.” he added.
At age 17, Henderson signed with the Ignite after graduating early from high school and became the youngest player in G League history.
In the 2021–22 season, Henderson played 11 games in the G League Showcase Cup and 10 exhibition games and averaged 14.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.
