Portland Trail Blazers Young Guard To Make Season Debut On Friday

The Portland Trail Blazers may currently be sitting in 10th place in the Western Conference standings, but given pre-season expectations, it's safe to say that the season has been a success thus far. That comes on the back of a core built with good blend of experience and youth, with Deni Avdija leading the way thus far, and now, the cavalry is on the way.

Despite some injuries, the team got some good news on Friday, as it has now officially been confirmed by Head Coach Tiago Splitter that former top draft pick Scoot Henderson will make his season debut against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.

Originally drafted with the No. 3 overall pick back in 2023, Henderson was expected to be a key piece of the Blazers future, and thus far in his career, he's flashed potential, but struggled to find that consistency in the NBA. In two seasons, Henderson has averaged 13 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds per game, and at just 22-years of age, the team are still full of confidence that he can grow into a key piece of a very successful future for Portland.

Henderson was hoping to take a leap in 2025/26, but after suffering a tear in his left hamstring, he has missed the first 50 games of the regular season. With the Blazers in a playoff spot however, they'll need him to hit the ground running, and while he's likely to remain a key piece off the bench this season, if he can produce, they will be a dark horse team in the West moving forward.