2. Scoot Henderson, Guard, G League Ignite
Every once in a while, the NBA gets a can’t-miss prospect that gets the whole league invested in where the lottery balls may fall. When LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Zion Williamson came out of college, we all knew they’d hit the ground running and race to stardom. In 2023, it looks like we may just have two of those high-caliber players on our hands here.
Averaging 18.9 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game against the fully matured competition in the G League, Scoot Henderson’s statistical success is undeniable. As a pure scorer, Henderson is actually extremely comparable to another former G League Ignite guard — Jalen Green.
Drafted second overall in 2021, Green was seen as a top prospect based on his scoring acumen alone. With Henderson, you get everything Green offers on offense (if his shot translates) on top of Scoot’s already elite playmaking and rebounding ability. As much disdain as I hold for direct player comparisons, it’s hard not to see shades of Donovan Mitchell, Dwyane Wade, and Ja Morant in Henderson’s game.
Scoot Henderson would become the Chicago Bulls’ best point guard since Derrick Rose if they land him in the draft.
I wouldn’t blame anyone for having Henderson at the top of their personal draft board either. Although there’s one particular player at the top of everyone’s minds entering the draft, I wouldn’t be completely surprised if Henderson ends up having the better career when it’s all said and done.
When you also factor in that a lead ball handler is the Bulls’ greatest position of need right now, it only becomes even easier to convince me that Henderson is worth tanking for in hopes of keeping this year’s pick. It would take a sizeable amount of luck to get him to Chicago, but envisioning his fit on the Bulls is tempting enough to justify the gamble.