With a veteran mentor and guard depth both high on the Sixers’ list of needs, the Gerald Henderson signing is an excellent pickup heading into the 2016-17 campaign.
Just a day after Kevin Durant sent shock waves through the league with his decision to join the Golden State Warriors, former Portland Trail Blazers guard Gerald Henderson decided to head home on a two-year, $18 million deal to join the Philadelphia 76ers.
As a local whose father played for the team during his childhood, Henderson’s roots in connection with the city have been clearly defined for a while. He has ties around Philadelphia, going to high school locally, and was likely more than willing to make the move back with Bryan Colangelo finally beginning to move the team in the right direction.
Henderson didn’t produce at an extremely high level last season, but still can mesh well within the rotation and gives Philly aid in areas that were desperately needed.
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Henderson’s most beneficial aspect will be his offensive production. Playing in only 20 minutes per contest with the Blazers, Henderson averaged his lowest point output since his rookie year, churning out just 9 per contest.
He was somewhat buried by younger rotational players with Portland, however, and given a role that really limited the playing time he was able to come by. Given the current state of the Sixers’ franchise, it’s tough to imagine a servicable shooter with the track record Henderson has established struggling quite as much to find minutes under Brett Brown. Since his rookie year, he has never averaged less than 14 points per 36 minutes, and has the tools necessary to make immediate contributions as possibly their most reliable outside scorer.
While he has never been considered a knockdown shooter, Henderson can hit shots in high volume when he’s in rhythm. He hit 35 percent of his outside shots last season, and is a skilled scorer off the dribble with some underrated explosiveness.
His defense has been the most praised aspect of his game as of late, but as somebody who can get to the basket and finish or spot up on the perimeter, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be a legitimate part of their rotation offensively as well.
With that said, his defense is a massive part of what makes this signing appealing as well. He’s well built for the two-guard spot, with good quickness for a 28-year-old coming off of knee problems and excellent instincts on that side of the ball.
Henderson can guard to opposition’s most productive scorer without getting beaten on a consistent basis, while also showcasing excellent intensity on that side of the ball. Even in a reduced role that somewhat stifled his most effective skills, Henderson’s aptness on the wing as a defender was a valuable tool for Terry Stotts and company during critical situations last year, and could be well suited alongside a lineup that includes a plethora of young defensive studs in Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot.
Henderson also fits extremely well with the age dynamic in Philly’s locker room. He has plenty of experience to share with the younger fixtures in the Sixers rotation, as this will be his eighth season in the league, while also possessing a few more years of prime production under the right situation. The Blazers were a young team in their own right last season, and players and coach around the locker room constantly praised his role as a leadership figurehead in the locker room.
Among those who lauded his presence was All-Star point guard Damian Lillard:
"“I’m a guy who’s going to put my arm around you and I’m going to be like, ‘You need to work, you need to get better, and I’m going to support you.’ He’s like ‘I don’t care, this is what needs to happen,’ and you need guys like that around. He’s earned guy’s respect” — Damian Lillard, via The Oregonian"
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Henderson’s fit with the team as a veteran mentor who can helps on both sides of the ball is almost ideal. His contract is highly reasonable given the current cap spike, and his output should bode well with a Philly team that has been searching for perimeter depth for the entirety of this offseason.