Blazers still waiting on Scoot Henderson; Hardaway Jr. boosts Nuggets bench; questions persist around Pelicans’ front office
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PORTLAND, Ore. — Nearly eight weeks after tearing his left hamstring during a preseason workout, Trail Blazers rookie guard Scoot Henderson remains limited to light shooting, stationary ball-handling and upper-body strength work. Henderson told The Athletic he is now evaluated “week to week” and has not been cleared to jump or sprint. He is expected to meet this week with Dr. Courtney Watson, the team’s director of health and performance, to map out the next phase of his rehabilitation.
General manager Joe Cronin cautioned on media day that hamstring injuries often linger beyond the initial four- to eight-week estimate, and Henderson’s recovery appears on track to reach 10 weeks or more. Portland, 6-8 after losing five of its last six, is already without Damian Lillard (season-ending torn Achilles), Blake Wesley (foot surgery) and Jrue Holiday (right calf soreness). In their absence, Shaedon Sharpe, Deni Avdija and two-way rookie Caleb Love — who scored a career-high 17 points Tuesday against Phoenix — have absorbed additional backcourt duties.
Nuggets’ low-cost addition paying off
The defending champion Denver Nuggets remain No. 2 in ESPN’s latest power rankings, thanks in part to the production of offseason pickup Tim Hardaway Jr. Signed for the veteran minimum, the 31-year-old wing is averaging 11.4 points in 22.8 minutes while converting 47.1 percent of his three-point attempts. According to ESPN, Nikola Jokić has assisted on 18 of Hardaway’s 49 made baskets, and Denver is scoring 129.6 points per 100 possessions when the pair shares the floor.
Pelicans’ organizational structure draws scrutiny
League insiders continue to question the New Orleans Pelicans’ front-office alignment. The Athletic reports that former Pistons executive Joe Dumars received one of the NBA’s most lucrative executive contracts last spring, yet has deferred many roster decisions to senior vice president Troy Weaver. Multiple sources told the outlet that Weaver spearheaded the summer trade for Jordan Poole, even though rival teams saw little competition for the guard.
Former head coach Willie Green was dismissed after the team ranked 27th in offensive efficiency. Interim coach James Borrego’s future may depend on significant improvement on that end of the floor; his 2021-22 Charlotte Hornets finished eighth in offense. Both The Athletic and The Stein Line have heard Weaver could favor a candidate such as former Nets assistant Kevin Ollie if the position reopens next offseason.
Source: Hoops Wire
