Scoot Henderson's second season with the Ignite didn't go quite as planned.
While Henderson put the incredible athleticism and skill that could make him the No. 2 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft on display a number of times, his season was greatly impacted by injuries.
It started with a knee injury in a preseason exhibition game against the Metropolitans 92. That didn't cause him to miss the start of the Ignite's regular season, but he was in and out of the lineup throughout the season due to a nose fracture, concussion and ankle issues.
The Ignite eventually shut Henderson down when they were all but eliminated from playoff contention.
Scoot Henderson injury timeline: How nose fracture, concussion and ankle issues impacted Ignite season
October 6, 2022: After scoring 28 points in the first exhibition game against Victor Wembanyama and Metropolitans 92, Henderson leaves the second game in the opening quarter after banging knees with Wembanyama.
Scoot Henderson left the game and will not return following this collision with Victor Wembanyama. pic.twitter.com/xc4xRO8HGx
— ESPN (@espn) October 6, 2022
Henderson is listed as day-to-day with a bone bruise. He tells Marc J. Spears of Andscaped that he feels "good and healthy" and hopes to be ready for the Ignite's season opener in a month.
November 4, 2022: Henderson plays in the Ignite's season-opening loss to the Oklahoma City Blue, finishing with 25 points and seven assists in 33 minutes.
November 29, 2022: After missing his fourth straight game, it's revealed that Henderson is dealing with a nose fracture. He suffered the injury in the first half of the Ignite's win over the Salt Lake City Stars on Nov. 18. He was placed into concussion protocol and is considered to be day-to-day.
December 21, 2022: ESPN's Jonathan Givony tweets that Henderson is "slowly ramping up and reconditioning" as he continues to work his way back from his injury.
Watching Scoot Henderson and G League Ignite practice again. Henderson slowly ramping up and reconditioning as he returns from a near month long concussion absence after suffering a nasal fracture. Has looked very good in the three practices I've seen this week. pic.twitter.com/Mn0R7KCZep
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) December 21, 2022
December 27, 2022: Givony reports that some NBA executives he talked to wouldn't be surprised if Henderson doesn't play in another game with the Ignite because "he's all but assured of being a top-3 pick." Ignite officials shoot down that thinking "emphatically."
Henderson makes his long-awaited later in the day against the Ontario Clippers. He hits a game-tying runner to force overtime and leads the Ignite to victory with a team-best 20 points.
January 17, 2023: Henderson suffers an ankle injury late in the Ignite's loss to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. He exits the game and does not return.
February 4, 2023: Henderson returns from his ankle injury but plays only seven minutes in a loss to the South Bay Lakers. He leaves with 4:41 remaining in the first quarter and does not return. It's unclear if he's aggravated his previous injury.
February 23, 2023: Henderson returns after missing three straight games and shines in the Ignite's loss to the Memphis Hustle, finishing with a near triple-double of 20 points, 14 assists and seven rebounds.
March 14, 2023: The Ignite shut down Henderson with five games remaining in the season. According to Givony, the Ignite are unlikely to make the playoffs and feel like Henderson has "shown enough."
Scoot Henderson stats, highlights
- 25 games (24 starts)
- 30.2 minutes per game
- 17.6 points per game
- 6.4 assists per game
- 5.1 rebounds per game
- 1.2 steals per game
- 0.4 blocks per game
- 3.3 turnovers per game
- 44.3 percent field goal shooting
- 32.4 percent 3-point shooting
- 75.0 percent free throw shooting
