Scooter Hendersonthe role of in the Trail Blazers’ the rear area will look very different if Damien Lillard is traded, but the former G League Ignite star plans to approach his rookie season the same way no matter what. In an interview with Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, Henderson said he’s grateful for the advice Lillard has offered so far and doesn’t look to the internet to check on the status of trade negotiations.
“If he leaves, I’ll just accept that,” said Henderson. “I will agree to be the team’s playmaker. And that comes with practice. I don’t have my guaranteed place; I know that. My goal is to improve every day in training and to improve game after game.
In the middle of the interview, the members of the Hornets walked past and Brandon Miller stopped by to ask Henderson about the shoulder injury he suffered in his Summer League opener. O’Connor asked Henderson why Miller was drafted ahead of him and if moving up to No. 3 would provide additional incentive.
“If I was the no. 1 pick, I would still feel the edge,” Henderson replied “So just make sure everyone knows that’s how I come, and give myself a fiery edge no matter where I go. I would have had the same edge if I had gone 1 My main goal is basketball and being the best version of myself, so whether I was 1, 2, or 50, I would always have that edge.
There’s more on the Blazers:
- Henderson made a very strong impression on rival teams with his Summer League performance, even though it was limited to 21 minutes, according to Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix. Mannix said a few representatives from other teams have suggested even Spurs may possibly regret passing on Henderson to take Victor Wembanyama.
- Portland Coach Chauncey Billups admitted that Lillard’s trade demand brought a level of chaos to the summer, adds Mannix. Billups said he understood Lillard had to make the best decision for his career and he praised the general manager Joe Cronin for the way he handled the situation. “You can’t control fate. So we’ll see how it goes. Billups said. “But for me as a coach, there’s a lot of other guys on the team that I have to coach and have to be here for, that I have to mentor, I have to teach, and I want us to just keep going. to move forward, but we are doing it.
- Lillard posted an Instagram message Friday night in an attempt to quell a social media controversy, according to Larry Brown Sports. Lillard recently liked a tweet calling out the Nike founder Phil Knight buy the team Jody Allen and convince Lillard to change his mind about the exchange. On Instagram, Lillard called the incident a “misadventure” and said he had no intention of disrespecting Allen.