Scoot Henderson is starting to watch the Harry Potter movies. He can easily explain what inertia is. He can鈥檛 understand why one of his friends always seems to beat him when they go online to play Madden.
In his spare time, he also is getting ready for the NBA draft.
As the playoff push starts in the league, so does the draft push for those who will expect to hear their names called by Commissioner Adam Silver this June. Everybody knows French phenom Victor Wembanyama likely will be picked No. 1. There shouldn鈥檛 be much mystery about who鈥檚 going No. 2, either 鈥� with Henderson, an explosive point guard who has been drawing comparisons to Russell Westbrook, the consensus choice.
鈥淚鈥檓 just ready,鈥� Henderson said. 鈥淚鈥檓 just trying to prepare myself for the next level. I feel right there.鈥�
His performance at All-Star weekend probably didn鈥檛 hurt his stock. Playing with the G League team in the Rising Stars games, Henderson went through All-Star weekend for the second time 鈥� an obvious rarity for a player who has yet to appear in the NBA.
鈥淵ou see the talent,鈥� said Oklahoma City鈥檚 Jalen Williams, who played with Henderson in the Rising Stars event. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a reason why he鈥檚 on draft boards as high as he is.鈥�
Henderson has averaged 18.3 points, 6.7 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game for the G League Ignite this season. He flirted with a triple-double in Monday's win over Iowa: 14 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in just under 29 minutes. He also has averaged about one highlight-reel dunk per game 鈥� and at least one question about Wembanyama in interviews since the fall.
There is a mutual respect between the two, who are likely going to be linked for a long time given how the NBA put two exhibitions together between the Ignite and Wembanyama鈥檚 French team back in October 鈥� a prelude with expectations that Wembanyama will be picked No. 1 in the draft and Henderson No. 2.
鈥淚 don't listen to critics," Henderson said.
He said in October, and repeated in interviews at All-Star weekend, that there鈥檚 no rivalry. Henderson isn鈥檛 motivated by Wembanyama and doesn't view him as an opponent. He鈥檚 not even that bothered by nobody projecting that he鈥檚 the best player in the draft. He just does the work, believing in the end it鈥檒l be enough.
鈥淭here might be a team that might need a leader, need somebody who can talk, somebody who can communicate on the floor,鈥� Henderson said. 鈥淚 think I can make a big difference.鈥�
The Ignite is designed to help players who aren鈥檛 yet draft eligible but didn鈥檛 want to follow the one-year-of-college path to get ready for the NBA. Henderson has been with them for two years and has heard plenty of comparisons to top point guards. Derrick Rose鈥檚 name comes up a lot. So does Westbrook鈥檚.
It鈥檚 high praise for anyone, much less a 19-year-old.
鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty dope to be compared to,鈥� Henderson said. 鈥淏ut I think I want to flare off into my own self.鈥�
The kid is wise beyond his years already, and that has nothing to do with how 鈥� when asked about a certain teammate's game 鈥� Henderson explains the way inertia helps. A body in motion tends to stay in motion unless another force intervenes, and somewhere along the way Henderson learned that helps on drives to the basket and other parts of the game.
鈥淛ust science,鈥� Henderson said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what that is.鈥�
He can also see how he鈥檇 fit in with teams headed to the lottery. He studies the young players Houston has, just in case. Same with San Antonio, just in case. He talks about how he鈥檇 fit alongside Scottie Barnes in Toronto. And he wouldn鈥檛 mind being on a team someday with someone he considers an elite point guard, like Chris Paul or Ja Morant.
Teams with two point guards, he wonders, might be the future.
鈥淒ual backcourt would be crazy,鈥� Henderson said. 鈥淓xplosive and smart backcourts are cool to me.鈥�
He鈥檚 athletic. He鈥檚 a thinker. And whether he gets picked No. 1 or No. 2 or No. 60, Henderson is certain that he鈥檒l help some team next season.
鈥淚鈥檓 ready,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 know I鈥檓 ready.鈥�
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Tim Reynolds is a national basketball writer for The Associated Press. Write to him at treynolds(at)ap.org
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Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press
