The Portland Trail Blazers are facing a setback with the absence of their No. 3 overall pick, Scoot Henderson, who will be out for an extended period of time.
The team announced Saturday that an MRI revealed bone bruising in addition to the point guard’s right ankle sprain, which means he will be out for an additional two to three weeks. If all goes well, Henderson could return on Nov. 26 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Henderson sustained the injury on Nov. 1 during a game against the Milwaukee Bucks, leaving the court in the third quarter and not returning. Since then, he has missed three more games, and is now set to miss at least seven additional games.
While Henderson may not currently be the leading player on the Blazers, his future with the team holds significant weight. The Blazers drafted Henderson months before trading Damian Lillard to the Bucks, securing a promising point guard for the future while managing their present situation.
Despite being early in his career, Henderson’s performance in five games has not met the Blazers’ expectations. The 19-year-old has only had a 34.6% field goal accuracy and a 9.5% 3-point shot rate, while also averaging 4.0 turnovers per game against 4.6 assists. It’s not uncommon for a young point guard to encounter challenges when adjusting to the NBA in the initial stages of their career.
