It has been nearly eight weeks since the Trail Blazers announced that point guard Scoot Henderson had torn his left hamstring in a workout and would miss the start of the 2025/26 season.
At the time, the team said Henderson was expected to resume basketball activities in about four-to-eight weeks. However, while the former No. 3 overall pick tells Jason Quick of The Athletic that he has “made a lot of progress” in his recovery, his return to the court isn’t imminent and he says his resumption of basketball activities remains “week to week.”
According to Henderson, he’s scheduled to meet this week with the team’s director of health and performance, Dr. Courtney Watson, who will determine next steps. So far, the third-year guard’s activities have been limited to some stationary shooting and dribbling and upper-body weight lifting.
“I can walk around to spots, but no jumping, no exploding,” Henderson explained to Quick. “I shoot free throws, some ball-handling, but without moving much.”
As Quick points out, Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin told reporters on media day in September that Henderson’s timeline for resuming basketball activities could extend to 10 weeks or even beyond that, since hamstring injuries can be “stubborn” and tricky to handle. For his part, Henderson is optimistic that once he’s cleared for full basketball activities, he won’t require an extended ramp-up period before he’s cleared to play in games.
“I feel like I will be good,” Henderson told The Athletic. “I feel like I’ve always been good like that (coming off injury). I’m sure I will be tired, because you can’t compare basketball activity with anything else, so for a few games I will feel it.”
The struggling Trail Blazers, who have lost five of their last six games to fall to 6-8 on the season, could use Henderson back in their lineup. In addition to missing Damian Lillard, who is out for the season with a torn Achilles, Portland is currently without Blake Wesley (out since Oct. 31 due to foot surgery) and Jrue Holiday (out the past two games due to right calf soreness), leaving the team thin at point guard.
Shaedon Sharpe and Deni Avdija have taken on increased ball-handling responsibilities during the past two games with Holiday out, while rookie two-way player Caleb Love has also entered the rotation. Love had a career-high 17 points in 32 minutes in Tuesday’s loss to Phoenix.
Scoot who? They’ll be worse once he comes back and takes time away from others.
And? Their other options at PG next season are 35+ years old with one coming off a torn Achilles. Deni has been nice but this team ain’t anywhere near being ready yet and they’ll need scoot at PG for the long term.
Henderson can’t stay healthy & he is becoming more a part of the problem than part of the solution. Henderson so far has not matched the hype that was around him when he was drafted 3rd overall
Read please. If scoot is their long term solution they are already cooked.
They’ll be worse when the guards currently playing out of position are able to move back to their natural position on the floor???
Make that make sense.
Is he a bust? Is it fair to say that yet?
He showed improvement in his 2nd season, and he has not even played yet in his 3rd season. I don’t see how anyone can honestly call him a bust already.
He hasn’t even come close to matching the hype that surrounded him before being taken 3rd overall in the Draft & he can’t stay healthy
They played games with him for three years now. Either commit to him or bring back Lillard. Stop playing games with people’s lives Portland
How aren’t they committing to him? He wasn’t good enough and so they have been slowly developing him. He got better and started playing consistently. He got injured and they are taking their time with him so that he can be fully healthy.
Some of y’all need to realize that, in life, you don’t necessarily have to answer things if you don’t know what you’re talking about.
He is a number 2 pick years ago and still hasn’t received full time minutes. They have been playing games with him before he was even drafted.
Maybe they should trade him to Washington so he can develop right
Assume you know everything in life. I know more about basketball than you know about yourself. Try again kid
So now you have made him the number 2 pick from his draft??? How exactly did they play games with him before they drafted him?
Trade him to Washington who couldn’t develop Avdija, but once he got to Portland what happened?
My bad. It was off the top off my head. People make mistakes. Third pick sorry. Kind of under the weather. Portland was playing head games with scoot before they even drafted him. Thanks internet police
Washington did develop Avdija though
Lemme see here. Henderson has played games in the 23-24, and 24-25 seasons and that equates to playing “games with him for three years now.” Hoorah for NEW MATH.
Looks like they plan on doing both. Thing is both are injured so they can’t do either right now.
They need to let him be the full time starter. It’s now year three. He was the number two pick. He has never been given the keys
Starter? He has no handle, no shoot, no iq to play PG … Scoot is a bench player at best… Blazers will play him a lot only to get a high 2026 draft pick
Dame is out all Season & it’s unknown how long Henderson is out this time with a torn Hamstring