Scoot Henderson vows to win ROTY over Victor Wembanyama: "I WILL win Rookie of the Year"
Portland Trail Blazers rookie point guard Scoot Henderson may not have been the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA draft. However, Henderson has no doubts that he will win Rookie of the Year next season.
During a recent interview, the No. 3 pick spoke about his mindset entering the start of his NBA career. Henderson said that he not only plans to have an excellent rookie season and win ROTY, but he also plans to have a successful NBA career.
He added that he is already manifesting his success and acting as if it is a foregone conclusion.
“I WILL win Rookie of the Year,” Henderson said.
“It’s just a mindset, a manifestation that I kind of grew. I never doubted myself. You know, making sure I’m always playing good. Making sure I’m telling myself, ‘I’m gonna have a great rookie season,’ you know?
“I’m not saying ‘I want to have a great rookie season;’ I’m gonna have a great rookie season. I’m gonna have a great career. I will have a great career. And making sure that’s always in past tense because it happened.”
pic.twitter.com/NIciYN1DZDScoot Henderson guarantees that he wins rookie of the year 👀🔥 pic.twitter.com/NIciYN1DZD
As an athletic, explosive playmaking guard with NBA-level strength and speed, Henderson should be a top contender for ROTY next season. However, his ROTY chances will likely hinge on the fate of Portland Trail Blazers superstar point guard Damian Lillard.
Lillard is still awaiting a trade out of Portland after submitting a trade request on July 1.
If the Blazers can close a deal before next season, that should create additional opportunities for Henderson to thrive as a primary ball handler. However, if Lillard remains in Portland, the 19-year-old will likely be forced to take on a secondary playmaking role, which could hinder his ROTY chances.
Scoot Henderson averaged 16.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game on 42.9% shooting over 19 games with the G League Ignite last season. He also recorded 1.1 steals, 0.5 blocks and 0.7 3-pointers per game.
Where does Scoot Henderson rank among 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year betting favorites?
As for the betting favorites to win the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year award, three players have already separated themselves from the pack.
The San Antonio Spurs' 2023 No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama is considered the consensus favorite to take home ROTY. The 7-foot-4 French phenom’s ROTY betting odds currently range from -140 to -120 on most betting sites.
Wembanyama is followed by the OKC Thunder's 2022 No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren as the near-consensus No. 2 betting favorite. The 7-foot-1 rim-protector’s ROTY odds range from +250 to +380 on most sites. Holmgren missed all of last season with a foot injury.
Scoot Henderson comes in at third in a majority of ROTY betting odds with his odds ranging from +350 to +450.
However, the odds could certainly change once each player gets a chance to make their NBA debut next season.