Blazers' Scoot Henderson Eyes Rookie of the Year Award vs. Spurs' Victor Wembanyama: 'Still Up in The Air'

"Trying to get Rookie of the Year, that's still my goal," Blazers point guard Scoot Henderson told CBS Sports. "That's still up in the air, I think."

Jeremy Brener | Dec 28, 2023

Blazers' Scoot Henderson Eyes Rookie of the Year Award vs. Spurs' Victor Wembanyama: 'Still Up in The Air' /

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The San Antonio Spurs are in the pacific northwest tonight to face the Portland Trail Blazers, marking the first meeting between No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama and No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson.

The two were supposed to play against one another during the Las Vegas Summer League, but an injury to Henderson postponed the matchup ... until tonight. Wembanyama and Henderson played against one another last year when Metropolitans 92 came all the way to Las Vegas from France to play G League Ignite in an exhibition series.

But not only does Henderson eye a victory tonight against Wembanyama, but he hopes to win Rookie of the Year honors over him at the end of the season.

Scoot Henderson Victor Wembanyama — Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

"Trying to get Rookie of the Year, that's still my goal," Henderson told CBS Sports. "That's still up in the air, I think."

Henderson has an uphill climb if he wants to win the award over Wembanyama. The Blazers guard is averaging 11.1 points and 4.5 assists per game while the Spurs center is posting a double-double with 18.3 points and 10.6 rebounds.

Could Spurs 'Regret' Drafting Wembanyama vs. Henderson, Miller?

On top of that, Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren and Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. have also turned heads and have their hat in the running.

Henderson is improving, scoring in double figures for six of his last eight games, but the Blazers guard will likely need a long injury for Wemby to have a chance at the award.

He'll also need to outplay Wembanyama tonight when the Spurs and Blazers tip off at 9 p.m. CT inside the Moda Center.

Published Dec 28, 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.