NBA Draft

Ignite Update: Evaluating Scoot Henderson Since Return from Injury

Upon returning to the lineup from an 11-game absence, G League standout Scoot Henderson has been highly impactful.

Nick Crain

Ignite Update: Evaluating Scoot Henderson Since Return from Injury
Ignite Update: Evaluating Scoot Henderson Since Return from Injury /

The best guard in the upcoming draft class, Scoot Henderson missed several weeks of action with a nasal fracture late in 2022. Following that 11-game absence, he’s come back and led the G League Ignite to a 4-1 record.

Since Henderson has already shown enough to likely be a lock as a top three pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, some thought he may not return following his recovery. However, the competitive spirit and want to compete has him back on the floor and playing better than ever.

In his five games since returning, Henderson has averaged 19.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. He’s shot better than 50% from the floor in three of these five games, proving just how efficient of a scorer he could be. With that in mind, he’s converted on just two of his eight attempts from beyond the arc during this span. The 3-point shot was dropping at a high rate before the injury, so there's still reason for optimism on the shooting stroke.

Defensively, Henderson has flashed a ton of upside of late as well. Since he’s a bit undersized from a height standpoint, he’s forced to use his strong frame and explosiveness to impact that end of the floor. He’s done just that over the past five games, producing four steals and three blocks.

Henderson’s athleticism has really popped over these past several games, which has resulted in several incredible dunks. His ability to get off the ground quickly and finish with power is elite. This has also helped him pull down six offensive boards since returning to action, which generates second chance points for the Ignite.

Every game, Henderson gives just another reason to believe he’s a potentially generational guard prospect. Whether it’s scoring, facilitating, defending or anything else, he can do it all. 

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Nick Crain
NICK CRAIN

Nick is co-founder and lead draft analyst for Draft Digest. A credentialed NBA reporter for over five years, he's covered the league for various outlets including SLAM and Forbes.

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