Photo Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
The Portland Trail Blazers fell short of making the NBA playoffs last season but found themselves in a unique position to add a promising young talent to their roster by selecting Scoot Henderson with the third overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
While Henderson’s addition brings optimism to the team, it’s important to consider that his impact may not be immediate and does not guarantee the star-level performance necessary for the Blazers to become a championship contender.
This stands in contrasts to the preferences of Blazers superstar Damian Lillard, who wishes to play alongside experienced players capable of making immediate impact. As a result, dissatisfaction has emerged within Lillard’s camp, particularly concerning the team’s decision to utilize their draft pick.
“Dame and his people were not thrilled that [Portland] used the pick.”
“Dame and his people were not thrilled that [Portland] used the pick.”
– @highkin
(h/t @dru_star ) pic.twitter.com/NoEhIpNQuv
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) June 25, 2023
Lillard has been candid about his roster preferences, but it doesn’t seem that the Trail Blazers have truly followed suit. Even NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski recently chimed in on the matter, stating that the 32-year old Blazers superstar will have to decide between sticking with this young team or joining another team with better chances of vying for a championship.
As transcribed by HoopsHype from ESPN’s GetUp:
“Damian Lillard has to decide if he wants to grow with this young group. This team is not going to be a championship contender this season. I think they’ve done an outstanding job in Portland in the last couple of years in the draft – Shaedon Sharpe last year and then this year, Scoot Henderson and two other good players who you could see a pathway to this young team. And if Damian Lillard wants to go to a contender, it’s gonna probably have to be somewhere [else] unless he’s willing to wait a couple years for this young group to grow.”
