Blazers GM on Scoot Henderson: 'Rather Have the Shorter Guy Who's the Better Player'

It appears that the Portland Trail Blazers got their guy in the 2023 NBA draft.

The Blazers selected Scoot Henderson with the 3rd overall selection Thursday, and while there were some questions regarding his height during the predraft process, general manager Joe Cronin told reporters he had no concerns over the G League Ignite guard's stature:

While the comment can definitely be attributed to Henderson's size alone, it also shows a vote of confidence from the front office. Henderson was rumored to be pushing for the No. 2 overall pick late in the draft process, but the Charlotte Hornets elected to take Brandon Miller instead.

Henderson spurned the collegiate ranks and signed with the G League Ignite, becoming the youngest player in G League history in the process. In 19 games in 2022-23, Henderson averaged 16.5 points, 6.5 assists and 5.4 rebounds.

His height is right around the average for a point guard, but compared to the 7'5" Victor Wembanyama and 6'9" Brandon Miller, he definitely is a step down in size.

His selection also complicates the situation with star guard Damian Lillard, as the team was rumored to be shopping the pick to bring in a co-star for the seven-time all-star.

Portland went 33-49 in 2023 and finished 13th in the West. This was the team's second consecutive season missing the playoffs.