NBA Draft: Scoot Henderson Wants to 'Build Spurs Fanbase,' Become No. 1 Pick

Scoot Henderson's goal is to have his name called first by the San Antonio Spurs on draft night.

Jeremy Brener | May 25, 2023

NBA Draft: Scoot Henderson Wants to 'Build Spurs Fanbase,' Become No. 1 Pick /

In this story:

San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs will almost certainly take Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 overall pick in next month's draft, but don't tell Scoot Henderson that.

The G League Ignite point guard believes he has the tools to be the top pick in the NBA Draft.

"As a competitor, I want to go to No. 1 and build that fanbase in San Antonio," Henderson said at the NBA Combine. "My goal is to go No. 1."

In most years, Henderson would be strongly considered for the top pick. He has been viewed as the best prospect of this draft class other than Wembanyama for years. Even with Alabama star Brandon Miller challenging him for the second spot on teams' big boards, Henderson's upside as a point guard makes him a potential franchise game-changer.

Henderson, a hyper-athletic 6-4 guard, opted to forego college to play for the Ignite, posting 16.5 points, 6.5 assists and 5.4 rebounds in his post-graduate year. He has burst and a finishing ability that is reminiscent of players like former MVP's Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook in their primes. That kind of archetype for a player is absolutely one a team can build around.

Maybe in another universe where Wembanyama doesn't exist or he chooses to stay in France, Henderson would be the top pick this year. But after the draft, both players will be compared to the rest of the NBA, where the true competition begins.

You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Spurs? Click Here.

Follow Inside the Spurs on Twitter.

Follow Inside the Spurs on Facebook.

Want even more San Antonio Spurs news? Check out the SI.com team page here

Published May 25, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.