Trail Blazers Training Camp, Day 1: Deandre Ayton, Scoot Henderson Make Strong First Impression
Plus other thoughts from the first day in Santa Barbara.
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The Trail Blazers' first practice of training camp was a long one. They usually are. Not only is everybody fresh, but with so many new faces (only four players were here a year ago), there's a lot of needing to get everyone up to speed.
"The first day, you always get those jitters," head coach Chauncey Billups said after practice. "Guys don't want to mess up. But the new guys are picking stuff up quickly. You keep it very simple."
The practice on the UCSB campus ran well over three hours. Most of the intrigue is still around the two highest-profile new guys: No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson and Damian Lillard trade centerpiece Deandre Ayton. A lot about the next era of the Blazers is going to hinge on those two—whether Henderson is a franchise point guard and whether Ayton is more the force he was in the 2021 playoffs than the inconsistent presence he was in the following two seasons.
So far, the reviews are positive for both, from Billups and from each other.
"That kid's fast," Ayton said of Henderson. "He's a great facilitator, can get to the rim anytime he wants, and a great passer too. The way he pushes the ball down the floor is crazy."
Henderson loves to run. His athleticism has been his calling card since he came to prominence with the G League Ignite. Having an athletic center like Ayton to run with is, on paper, an ideal match.
"I think we're going to fit well," Henderson said. "Deandre is very skilled. He has a great touch. He's smart, and when we play fast he can get up the floor, he's crashing."
Media didn't get to watch most of practice, but the word was that Henderson's likely backcourt mate, Anfernee Simons, was having one of those days in scrimmages where he couldn't miss. He had a few of those in games last year. Both he and Henderson will run a lot of pick-and-rolls with Ayton.
"DA looked good," Billups said. "The chemistry that he's gonna have with Ant and with Scoot will be pretty sweet. Already in the pick-and-roll, he looks comfortable. He's a better shooter than most people give him credit for."
If there's been a weak point in Henderson's game thus far, it's his shooting. He shot just 27.5 percent from three-point range last season with the G League Ignite. But scouts and draft evaluators I've talked to over the past few months mostly agree that his mechanics are fine and he puts in the work, so that will get better over time. He may never be Lillard as an outside shooter, but very few are. But it's an element he still needs to perfect.
"I think he's doing good with his shooting," Billups said. "He works a lot on it. He's going to be able to make shots. I think right now he's more comfortable in the mid-range area, but what I love about him is that when the ball is swung to him, he's not hesitant. He'll shoot it, and I love that. That's the kind of confidence you need. He'll be fine."
"My understanding has been pretty clear from the jump," Henderson said. "All the coaches have told me what I'm great at, which is getting everybody involved, and that's something I love to do. I love getting downhill and trying to share the ball, and get my shots when it's my time."
Ayton pushed back when another reporter asked him to compare Henderson to the Hall of Fame point guard he spent the last three seasons playing with in Phoenix, Chris Paul.
"He's his own player," Ayton said. "He has his own swag. I won't just throw a type of player on him early. He can change the league in his own way. People will know him for [being] Scoot Henderson and not trying to be other types of players."
Other notes:
Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams III, the two players acquired from Boston in the Jrue Holiday deal, are expected to get to Santa Barbara and take their physicals tonight. Billups hope to have them both ready to practice tomorrow.
Speaking of Williams: Billups was asked about the frontcourt rotation and said that while he would like to find ways to play Williams and Ayton together, there is no thought of both of them starting. Williams will be the backup center.
He was less committed on the starting small forward, but I'd be shocked if Matisse Thybulle didn't get the nod there.