Scoot Henderson 2023 NBA Draft profile: Could he fit next to Luka Doncic in Dallas?

The Dallas Mavericks finished the season losing nine of their last 11 games and ended as the tenth-worst team in the NBA by record. This awful close to the season eliminated them from playoff contention but pushed them into the draft lottery, where they have a 13.9 percent chance to jump into the top four.

Dallas has just a 79.8 percent to keep their pick. The Mavs owe it to New York from the original Kristaps Porzingis trade if it falls outside the top ten on lottery night.

Dallas desperately needs young talent and will be looking to improve their roster through the 2023 NBA Draft. This is likely the highest pick that Dallas will have for years to come, and they need to make the right move to build around Luka Doncic. One player with elite potential that Dallas may have their eyes on is point guard Scoot Henderson.

Scoot Henderson 2023 NBA Draft profile: How would he fit next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on the Dallas Mavericks?

The high-flying point guard averaged 16.5 points, 6.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game in his second season with the G League Ignite. He is consistently mocked to get drafted in the top two picks, so Dallas would have to strike gold to have the chance to take him.

Here's a look at Henderson's strengths, weaknesses, and how he'd fit on the Mavericks alongside Doncic and potentially Kyrie Irving. The eight-time All-Star is a free agent this summer, but the Mavs must re-sign him.

Scoot Henderson's strengths

Scoot Henderson is a highlight reel-worthy play waiting to happen and will have fans on the edge of their seats. Here's a look at two of his top skills observed from a breakdown of his film.

1. Athleticism

Henderson is a freak athlete with the strength of a bull and the hops of a rabbit. His athleticism is on display every time he takes the floor as he always gives fans a show with his fancy finishes and emphatic dunks.

If Henderson is coming at a defender in transition, their best bet is to get out of the way. He posterizes them regularly and is fearless in attacking the rim. But dunking isn't the only thing that he does to show off his athleticism.

Henderson has elite quickness and makes defenders look like they're stuck in slow motion when he speeds past them. Once he gets to the bucket, he finishes through contact due to his strength and explosiveness. His balance of strength and athleticism is scary for opposing teams as he is hard to stop when he attacks the basket with a full head of steam.

2. Facilitating

Henderson is electric to watch with the ball in his hands. He racked up 6.5 assists per game for the Ignite last season and is a good decision-maker under pressure.

Henderson is most dangerous when he's going downhill. His quick first step and ability to finish around the basket forces the defense to collapse on him. Once defenders leave their man, he often finds a teammate with a skip pass or a dump-off for an easy basket.

He is an elite ball handler in the pick-and-roll and executes it beautifully. His pull-up mid-range jumper and ability to finish are consistent, and he doesn't make mistakes in these situations.

Henderson also reads the help defender well. Once he gets around his man, he does a good job of looking off the defense and making the right pass at the right time. He makes passes with strong velocity and accuracy regardless of distance.

Scoot Henderson's weakness

Scoot Henderson is the definition of an NBA-ready point guard but does have a weak spot in his game. Here's a look at what was observed from a dive into his film.

1. Shooting

Henderson's 3-point percentage went from 21.6 percent in his first season with the Ignite to 32.4 percent last season and has shown signs of improvement, but it's still a glaring issue in his game. His form is a bit robotic when he's shooting off the catch, and he doesn't seem to have much confidence in this area of his game yet.

His huge jump from his first to his second season from downtown is promising as he is working on this part of his game. Henderson's confidence and consistency from mid-range give hope that his 3-point shooting will continue to improve but his free-throw shooting is not great.

He shot 76 percent from the free-throw line which is a bit below average for an NBA point guard. This is an area that he'll have to improve in as his play style will likely send him to the free-throw line often. If Henderson's shooting continues to improve, he has the potential to be a top point guard in the league. It will take his game to another level.

How does Scoot Henderson fit next to Luka Doncic on the Dallas Mavericks?

Things will get interesting if Dallas lands the number two pick.

Victor Wembanyama is a lock to go first overall as of right now, and Dallas will have a choice to make.

If the front office believes that Kyrie Irving is returning, Scoot Henderson may not be the best choice. That would be a third dominant ball handler on the team and there's only one ball to go around. In that scenario, Brandon Miller would be the wiser pick.

In the scenario that Dallas does draft Henderon and keeps Irving, they could still find a way to make it work. Dallas had three dominant ball handlers for the second half of last season with Spencer Dinwiddie, Luka Doncic, and Jalen Brunson. All three players could play off the ball to some degree and accepted their roles.

This would be the same type of situation with the Mavericks if they take Henderson, but he'd have to learn to be better off the ball. He would likely lead the bench unit as Dinwiddie did, but having a second-overall pick come off the bench isn't ideal.

If Irving is giving the front office indication that he is signing elsewhere, Henderson would be a phenomenal pick. Dallas would need another ball handler, and Henderson would fill that role immediately. He would start next to Doncic in the backcourt and could lead the offense when he needed to.

He is a fantastic facilitator and his in-between game is elite. Henderson's ability to find shooters when he's driving to the bucket is a skill that would translate excellently into Dallas' offense. Players like Reggie Bullock and Tim Hardaway Jr. would get even more open looks from the corners as Henderson would draw the defense in with his elite finishing ability.

The next few months will be exciting for Dallas Mavericks fans as they will learn if they get to keep their pick and if Kyrie Irving is going to re-sign. Stay tuned to see where Scoot Henderson lands and if he'll be in a Mavericks uniform.