Scoot Henderson

[Norm2953]

Both Scoot and Lamelo are at their best on ball. To maximize their talents, they must be separated. Doesn't mean they won't take Scoot regardless.

They can each play on ball 24 minutes and off ball 10-12. LaMelo shoots like 41% on threes off the catch and spaces out to the logo.

Their combined natural playmaking (most difficult skill to develop in the NBA per Spinella) would make every Hornet better off the ball, including LaMelo & Scoot. Neither have ever played with a teammate who can get them great looks.

The whole supporting cast would be getting great looks. With one elite playmaker on the floor at all times, they'd carve up bench units.

There is zero chance Scoot falls to 3, let alone 4. The Blazers could offer Shaedon Sharpe + pick 3 and it's still a N-O.

I'd agree with that thought for Scoot appears to have aced his Blazers workout.

I do think Miller is the best fit for both Portland and Charlotte and he'd step right into Portland's front court
with Jerami Green as a bookend pair of forwards. There is no need for Portland to trade up to 2 for they will simply
take whoever is there at 3

[LofJ]

I keep seeing people say that Scoot is not that great of an athlete. Where is that coming from? He has an almost ideal combination of speed and power. He isn't skinny and ridiculously quick like Morant, he's more like Anthony Edwards. I guess there aren't that many power guards in the league right now so people have forgotten what they look like.

[Braggins]

I keep seeing people say that Scoot is not that great of an athlete. Where is that coming from? He has an almost ideal combination of speed and power. He isn't skinny and ridiculously quick like Morant, he's more like Anthony Edwards. I guess there aren't that many power guards in the league right now so people have forgotten what they look like.

The Scoot discourse on realgm has been atrocious all season. People are just saying nonsense things.

[The Sebastian Express]

I keep seeing people say that Scoot is not that great of an athlete. Where is that coming from? He has an almost ideal combination of speed and power. He isn't skinny and ridiculously quick like Morant, he's more like Anthony Edwards. I guess there aren't that many power guards in the league right now so people have forgotten what they look like.

Like I saw someone said, that kid is built like a twenty-eight year old man at nineteen. That is one powerful looking dude who still has crazy burst and hops. Don't know how anyone could say any different.

[MasterIchiro]

Scoot's speed / power package is unique in its own right, but it's his feel and ability to create offense for teammates that places him on his own tier as a potential franchise bedrock. Cerebral players with elite handles combined with speed and power? Basketball IQ makes his speed/power combo so dangerous.

How many of those currently play in the NBA? And the ones who do? They're superstars.

[BostonCouchGM]

The Hornets should draft Scoot and trade Melo. Melo is just another high usage chucker. He can work, like Luka and Harden, but you'd need a particular surrounding cast to make it happen. Scoot is who the Hornets should build around.

[MemphisX]

Scoot would be the unquestioned #1 if not for Wemby. Not sure how people have watched Ja make a serious impact on winning in both the regular and post season then question Scoot.

[NO-KG-AI]

Both Scoot and Lamelo are at their best on ball. To maximize their talents, they must be separated. Doesn't mean they won't take Scoot regardless.

Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan are both at their best with the ball. Dwyane Wade and Lebron are both better on the ball.

Far better players than Lamelo and Scoot have had to learn and accept playing off the ball is part of winning. If they can't accept that, you move them.

For my take, Lamelo shoots the ball and makes connective passes and seems like he has a ton of potential off the ball. Scoot needs to learn to play off the ball to be a champion too.

[Braggins]

Scoot's speed / power package is unique in its own right, but it's his feel and ability to create offense for teammates that places him on his own tier as a potential franchise bedrock. Cerebral players with elite handles combined with speed and power? Basketball IQ makes his speed/power combo so dangerous.

How many of those currently play in the NBA? And the ones who do? They're superstars.

Its really so simple. 19 years old with elite athleticism, elite intangibles, high skill level, and high iq/feel. Those are the exact types of players you want with premium draft picks like this.

Scoot is a better player right now than Miller and is a year younger with flawless intangibles. Miller is the older/worse player and is showing up to his interviews with a lawyers statement. I have no idea how there is any question over this pick tbh.

[crows2]

I keep seeing people say that Scoot is not that great of an athlete. Where is that coming from? He has an almost ideal combination of speed and power. He isn't skinny and ridiculously quick like Morant, he's more like Anthony Edwards. I guess there aren't that many power guards in the league right now so people have forgotten what they look like.

I take issue when people compare his speed to players like Rose and Wall. As you say, he's more akin to Edwards as an athlete (although slightly lower due to the height difference).

[CptCrunch]

Scoot is a plus athelete, but he isn't elite by any means for NBA point guard standards. If you line him up with the 30 starting PG in the league, he is 5-10 at best, and realistically he is really middle of the pack if you filter out the 'bad' atheletes due to age.

[MasterIchiro]

Scoot's speed / power package is unique in its own right, but it's his feel and ability to create offense for teammates that places him on his own tier as a potential franchise bedrock. Cerebral players with elite handles combined with speed and power? Basketball IQ makes his speed/power combo so dangerous.

How many of those currently play in the NBA? And the ones who do? They're superstars.

Its really so simple. 19 years old with elite athleticism, elite intangibles, high skill level, and high iq/feel. Those are the exact types of players you want with premium draft picks like this.

Scoot is a better player right now than Miller and is a year younger with flawless intangibles. Miller is the older/worse player and is showing up to his interviews with a lawyers statement. I have no idea how there is any question over this pick tbh.

The way the game is played it's becoming increasingly difficult to find young players with high end talent who learned to leverage teammates in order to create offense for teammates and/or themselves. It's like the best young athletes become absorbed in their own individual impact, and disconnect from the team dynamic. Scoot learned how to work as a team leading pros against former NBA first and second round picks as a 17 year old. His backstory is highly unique if not unprecedented. I don't know how Hornets scouts can camp out in Gleague as the team invests so heavily in the Greensboro Swarm for player development (recently Mark Williams) and not salivate over Scoot two years straight.

Imagine if Josh Giddey played with elite speed and power? Look how far he gets off IQ and understanding how to leverage team dynamics. Look what Jokic can do with below average athleticism. The elite athletes rarely understand the game.

Scoot is in a class of his own.

There is just no way he's not going to Charlotte.

[Colbinii]

I keep seeing people say that Scoot is not that great of an athlete. Where is that coming from? He has an almost ideal combination of speed and power. He isn't skinny and ridiculously quick like Morant, he's more like Anthony Edwards. I guess there aren't that many power guards in the league right now so people have forgotten what they look like.

I take issue when people compare his speed to players like Rose and Wall. As you say, he's more akin to Edwards as an athlete (although slightly lower due to the height difference).

So 98 percentile instead of 99 percentile?

[Big J]

I keep seeing people say that Scoot is not that great of an athlete. Where is that coming from? He has an almost ideal combination of speed and power. He isn't skinny and ridiculously quick like Morant, he's more like Anthony Edwards. I guess there aren't that many power guards in the league right now so people have forgotten what they look like.

I take issue when people compare his speed to players like Rose and Wall. As you say, he's more akin to Edwards as an athlete (although slightly lower due to the height difference).

Edwards? Not even close. Edwards has insane speed and he dunks on guys every other game. Scoot rarely ever dunks.

[clyde21]

Scoot is a plus athelete, but he isn't elite by any means for NBA point guard standards. If you line him up with the 30 starting PG in the league, he is 5-10 at best, and realistically he is really middle of the pack if you filter out the 'bad' atheletes due to age.

which 5 PGs starting in the NBA are better athletes than Scoot today?

only two you can make an argument for are Ja and Fox, and even then I can make a pretty solid pro Scoot argument in that convo. no one else is close now. Russ a few years ago obviously but not anymore.

Scoot he is a top 3 athlete at the PG position in the NBA on day one. and im talking true lead guards, Jalen Greens don't qualify.

[Duke4life831]

I think we are at the point where we begin to over scout these guys.

Athletically Scoot to me is like Westbrook and Rose more than guys like Ja and Fox. Those guys are much more wiry. Westbrook and Rose were much more powerful guards and that is where I have Scoot. Now I dont have Scoot equal to prime Rose because to me prime Rose is still the best athlete at the PG position I have seen.

I totally get the flaws in his game. I just think people are underselling him when they say things like he is just a plus athlete. He is an elite athlete.

[Duke4life831]

Scoot is a plus athelete, but he isn't elite by any means for NBA point guard standards. If you line him up with the 30 starting PG in the league, he is 5-10 at best, and realistically he is really middle of the pack if you filter out the 'bad' atheletes due to age.

which 5 PGs starting in the NBA are better athletes than Scoot today?

only two you can make an argument for are Ja and Fox, and even then I can make a pretty solid pro Scoot argument in that convo. no one else is close now. Russ a few years ago obviously but not anymore.

Scoot he is a top 3 athlete at the PG position in the NBA on day one. and im talking true lead guards, Jalen Greens don't qualify.

Yup. Here is a quick link where you can see all the starting PGs from last year
http://www.espn.com/nba/depth

Ja and Fox are the only two I see with an argument over him, especially when you factor in Scoot will be significantly stronger than both of those guys on day 1. I mean even when you include the starting SGs on the list, still hard to push him out of the top 5.

Ja
Fox
Ant
Green
...
Ivey beats him in straight line speed, but Scoot is stronger and moves better laterally. Mitchell is explosive but not as agile. Sharpe is a fantastic leaper but I dont see the same on ball burst as Scoot. No way I see him as 5-10 at best when it comes to the starting PGs.

[CptCrunch]

Scoot is a plus athelete, but he isn't elite by any means for NBA point guard standards. If you line him up with the 30 starting PG in the league, he is 5-10 at best, and realistically he is really middle of the pack if you filter out the 'bad' atheletes due to age.

which 5 PGs starting in the NBA are better athletes than Scoot today?

only two you can make an argument for are Ja and Fox, and even then I can make a pretty solid pro Scoot argument in that convo. no one else is close now. Russ a few years ago obviously but not anymore.

Scoot he is a top 3 athlete at the PG position in the NBA on day one. and im talking true lead guards, Jalen Greens don't qualify.

Yup. Here is a quick link where you can see all the starting PGs from last year
http://www.espn.com/nba/depth

Ja and Fox are the only two I see with an argument over him, especially when you factor in Scoot will be significantly stronger than both of those guys on day 1. I mean even when you include the starting SGs on the list, still hard to push him out of the top 5.

Ja
Fox
Ant
Green
...
Ivey beats him in straight line speed, but Scoot is stronger and moves better laterally. Mitchell is explosive but not as agile. Sharpe is a fantastic leaper but I dont see the same on ball burst as Scoot. No way I see him as 5-10 at best when it comes to the starting PGs.

Maybe the number is lower than 5, but the only thing that matter is functional atheleticism here. Don't see Scoot driving his way to the basket like prime Rose with first step/explosiveness or prime Harden in craft. I do not think that his athleticism will define the way he plays ball; he is solidly in the category of young guards who are not held back by their lack of atheletic abilities from day 1.

Probably better - Morant, Fox, Porter Jr

Probably same tier - Ivey, Ben Simmons, Lavine, Fultz, Hayes, maybe the skeleton of Westbrook

[clyde21]

Porter is not better, and he's also not really a lead guard

Ivey is just a straight line guy, also not a lead guy, Fultz/Hayes highly questionable they are in the same tier as Scoot athletically.

also i choose my words carefully when I say he has an elite physical profile, because it's not just one thing...there are faster players, there are players that can jump higher, but we've rarely seen this combo of strength, length, speed, power and raw athleticism in this type of package.

and again, he's a top 3 athlete in the NBA day one at the PG position. people need to stop selling him short here just b/c he doesn't have Ja's hang time or Fox's straight line speed. neither of them have his strength either, or as toolsy when it comes to wingspan or hands.

[Duke4life831]

which 5 PGs starting in the NBA are better athletes than Scoot today?

only two you can make an argument for are Ja and Fox, and even then I can make a pretty solid pro Scoot argument in that convo. no one else is close now. Russ a few years ago obviously but not anymore.

Scoot he is a top 3 athlete at the PG position in the NBA on day one. and im talking true lead guards, Jalen Greens don't qualify.

Yup. Here is a quick link where you can see all the starting PGs from last year
http://www.espn.com/nba/depth

Ja and Fox are the only two I see with an argument over him, especially when you factor in Scoot will be significantly stronger than both of those guys on day 1. I mean even when you include the starting SGs on the list, still hard to push him out of the top 5.

Ja
Fox
Ant
Green
...
Ivey beats him in straight line speed, but Scoot is stronger and moves better laterally. Mitchell is explosive but not as agile. Sharpe is a fantastic leaper but I dont see the same on ball burst as Scoot. No way I see him as 5-10 at best when it comes to the starting PGs.

Maybe the number is lower than 5, but the only thing that matter is functional atheleticism here. Don't see Scoot driving his way to the basket like prime Rose with first step/explosiveness or prime Harden in craft. I do not think that his athleticism will define the way he plays ball; he is solidly in the category of young guards who are not held back by their lack of atheletic abilities from day 1.

Probably better - Morant, Fox, Porter Jr

Probably same tier - Ivey, Ben Simmons, Lavine, Fultz, Hayes, maybe the skeleton of Westbrook

My thing with Scoot is, his athleticism is functional. We arent talking Harrison Barnes or MPJ kind of empty gym athletes here. Scoot is strong, explosive, quick and moves well laterally.

Going off the guys you mentioned

Porter Jr (assuming Kevin): Kevin has very good wiggle. Not sure I have him over Scoot on anything else.
Ivey: elite straight line speed. I think Scoot is better laterally, has better wiggle, more explosive of a leaper and stronger
Simmons: Hard to compare a 6'10 guy
LaVine: LaVine has the hops but Im not sure what else after the surgeries. Dont think he's quicker.
Fultz: This ones not close. Fultz looks straight up slow compared to Scoot.
Hayes: Not sure I take Hayes in any athletic category over Scoot
Westrbook: Scoot is the better athlete than current Westbrook easily.

This is my point where I think we are at the point where we're just over scouting guys now, especially the guys we arent too fond of. Not saying this is just you, this is something everyone does.