Scoot Henderson was the No. 3 pick of the 2023 draft but he continues to underperform compared to his draft status. Henderson was inserted into the Trail Blazers’ lineup after Ja Morant suffered a hamstring injury but flopped. Henderson was moved back to the bench after a five-game stint in favor of Sidy Cissoko but he took the demotion with grace, The Athletic’s Jason Quick writes.

“I feel fine about it,’’ Henderson said. “The rotation with Sid in there … I’m all for it. That’s my dawg. Whatever I’ve got to do to help the team win, I’m up for it.’’

Henderson could still find a realistic career path, Quick adds, even if he doesn’t perform at the level of high lottery pick. Henderson will be a restricted free agent after the season.

“I’m not trippin’,’’ Henderson said. “But it can’t get any worse.’’

Here’s more from the Northwest Division:

• Speaking of Cissoko, the Trail Blazers posted back-to-back wins over the Thunder with the 2023 second-round pick in the lineup. He averaged 18 points in those two contests. Additionally, his defensive intensity and versatility provided a boost to the starting lineup, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Cissoko will be an unrestricted free agent after the season unless he signs an extension.
• The injury-riddled Thunder are facing a new reality, Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated opines. They are vulnerable to bad shooting nights and incapable of massive runs to turn the tide. A team that has seemed almost immortal in recent years is just a conventionally good basketball team without the dominance or ceiling they had just four short weeks ago, Stiles adds.
• Injuries to Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jusuf Nurkic have forced the Jazz to rethink their goals, according to Shreyas Laddha of the Salt Lake Tribune. The Jazz hoped that their young core of Darryn Peterson, Keyonte George and Ace Bailey would thrive while surrounded by those veterans. The younger trio will now be given plenty of playing time in the coming weeks and their development is now the main focus, rather than aiming for a postseason run.
• How did Timberwolves coach Chris Finch get his team ready for the season? The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski spent two days during training camp shadowing Finch and reveals the coach’s prep work, style and messages he delivers to the staff and players.