G League Ignite star Scoot Henderson says he’s ready for NBA draft

Scoot Henderson is starting to watch the Harry Potter movies. Hecan easily explain what inertia is. He can’t understand why one ofhis friends always seems to beat him when they go online to playMadden.

In his spare time, he also is getting ready for the NBAdraft.

As the playoff push starts in the league, so does the draft pushfor those who will expect to hear their names called byCommissioner Adam Silver this June. Everybody knows French phenomVictor Wembanyama likely will be picked No. 1. There shouldn’t bemuch mystery about who’s going No. 2, either — with Henderson, anexplosive point guard who has been drawing comparisons to RussellWestbrook, the consensus choice.

“I’m just ready,” Henderson said. “I’m just trying to preparemyself for the next level. I feel right there.”

His performance at All-Star weekend probably didn’t hurt hisstock. Playing with the G League team in the Rising Stars games,Henderson went through All-Star weekend for the second time — anobvious rarity for a player who has yet to appear in the NBA.

“You see the talent,” said Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams, whoplayed with Henderson in the Rising Stars event. “There’s a reasonwhy he’s on draft boards as high as he is.”

Henderson has averaged 18.0 points, 6.5 assists and 4.8 reboundsper game for the G League Ignite this season. He flirted with atriple-double in last Monday’s win over Iowa: 14 points, ninerebounds and nine assists in just under 29 minutes. He also hasaveraged about one highlight-reel dunk per game — and at least onequestion about Wembanyama in interviews since the fall.

There is a mutual respect between the two, who are likely goingto be linked for a long time given how the NBA put two exhibitionstogether between the Ignite and Wembanyama’s French team back inOctober — a prelude with expectations that Wembanyama will bepicked No. 1 in the draft and Henderson No. 2.

“I don’t listen to critics,” Henderson said.

He said in October, and repeated in interviews at All-Starweekend, that there’s no rivalry. Henderson isn’t motivated byWembanyama and doesn’t view him as an opponent. He’s not even thatbothered by nobody projecting that he’s the best player in thedraft. He just does the work, believing in the end it’ll beenough.

“There might be a team that might need a leader, need somebodywho can talk, somebody who can communicate on the floor,” Hendersonsaid. “I think I can make a big difference.”

The Ignite is designed to help players who aren’t yet drafteligible but didn’t want to follow the one-year-of-college path toget ready for the NBA. Henderson has been with them for two yearsand has heard plenty of comparisons to top point guards. DerrickRose’s name comes up a lot. So does Westbrook’s.

It’s high praise for anyone, much less a 19-year-old.

“It’s pretty dope to be compared to,” Henderson said. “But Ithink I want to flare off into my own self.”

The kid is wise beyond his years already, and that has nothingto do with how — when asked about a certain teammate’s game —Henderson explains the way inertia helps. A body in motion tends tostay in motion unless another force intervenes, and somewhere alongthe way Henderson learned that helps on drives to the basket andother parts of the game.

“Just science,” Henderson said. “That’s what that is.”

He can also see how he’d fit in with teams headed to thelottery. He studies the young players Houston has, just in case.Same with San Antonio, just in case. He talks about how he’d fitalongside Scottie Barnes in Toronto. And he wouldn’t mind being ona team someday with someone he considers an elite point guard, likeChris Paul or Ja Morant.

Teams with two point guards, he wonders, might be thefuture.

“Dual backcourt would be crazy,” Henderson said. “Explosive andsmart backcourts are cool to me.”

He’s athletic. He’s a thinker. And whether he gets picked No. 1or No. 2 or No. 60, Henderson is certain that he’ll help some teamnext season.

“I’m ready,” he said. “I know I’m ready.”