The NBA loves Scoot Henderson.
More to the point, the G League loves the 19-year-old Henderson, who spent two seasons − including what was his senior year of high school − playing for the G League Ignite and developing into a projected top-three lottery pick in Thursday’s NBA draft.
“He, like the other Ignite players, will be ready to play an NBA game,” G League Ignite general manager Anthony McClish told USA TODAY Sports. “He’ll be ready to play Summer League. He’ll be ready to come into open gym in training camp. He’s played with pros. He’s played against pros. He’s played on the ball. He’s played off the ball. He’s come off the bench. He’s been a pro for two years.
“And for all of those reasons, I think he’s the most prepared player in this draft. And maybe in recent memory.”
Those are weighty (if not a tad biased) words considering French phenom Victor Wembanyama is the No. 1 projected pick.
But McClish’s point has merit. Henderson took a risk, signing a seven-figure contract at 17 to play for the G League Ignite instead of spending his senior year with his high school team and a freshman season with a college team. And he flourished against professional players trying to reach or get back to the NBA.
While it might not work for every player, it did for Henderson, a 6-foot-2 guard who could go No. 2 to Charlotte or No. 3 to Portland, which is surveying the trade market. He has worked out for just the Hornets and Trail Blazers, but if there is the right trade, especially for Portland, Henderson could end up elsewhere.
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He will join a team with an NBA-ready game after spending two seasons with the Ignite. In 2022-23, Henderson averaged 17.6 points, 6.6 assists and 5.1 rebounds and shot 44.4% from the field and 32.4% on 3-pointers. His shot requires improvement, but that’s typical of many rookies.
It’s his skillset (dribbling, passing, rebounding, scoring), size and strength (6-2, 196), athleticism (leaping ability, speed, power), maturity and command of the game that have drawn comparisons to Russell Westbrook, Donovan Mitchell and Ja Morant.
There’s confidence with humility, and he says he fears no one and can impact winning for any team.
“I’m living the dream,” he told reporters. “This is what I’ve always wanted. My plate might be full, but I’m going to eat. I’m hungry. That’s what I’ve worked my whole life for.”
The Ignite team was formed in 2020 for elite NBA prospects who sought an alternative path to the NBA. Instead of college or international basketball, they could play in a league under the NBA umbrella with a specific approach to training and development focused on becoming an NBA player.
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G League executives acknowledge the Ignite experience is not for everyone. Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga and Isaiah Todd played for the Ignite in 2020-21 and were all drafted − Green No. 2 by Houston, Kuminga No. 7 by Golden State and Todd No. 31 by Milwaukee. Last season, Ignite alums MarJon Beauchamp and Jaden Hardy were selected in the draft.
This season, Ignite forward Leonard Miller is a projected first-round pick, and the Ignite continues to bring up players who see the value of a development program designed to help players reach the NBA. London Johnson and Babacar Sane signed two-year G League deals in 2022, and the league announced on Wednesday that Ron Holland, a top-3 prospect in the high school class of 2023, will join the G League Ignite for 2023-24 instead of playing college basketball.
Henderson has provided a roadmap.
“It’s his intellectual maturity and emotional maturity,” G League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim told USA TODAY Sports. “You want him to struggle some and see how he managed the difficult times, how he managed success, how he owned mistakes, how he grew. … Across the board, he’s just really unique in that sense for someone his age.”
Abdur-Rahim, who spent 12 seasons in the NBA, credits Henderson’s parents, Chris and Crystal, for instilling those qualities.
“They supported him and allowed him to grow up and get prepared,” Abdur-Rahim said.
(Henderson’s sister, Crystal, led Kell (Marietta, Ga.) High to a 5A state title in 2023, scoring 29 points in the championship game, and she will play college basketball at Georgia State, according to the school’s website.)
The Ignite are the right team for the right player. The youngest player at 17 to sign with the G League, Henderson was the perfect match. Both sides were rewarded, and McClish is certain an NBA team will love everything about Henderson.
“I’ll never take those two years for granted,” Henderson said. “I’m glad I did the second year as well. The second year paid off and taught me so much.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Scoot Henderson goes from G League Ignite to top NBA draft prospect