Could Portland Have Ironically Recreated an Underrated Duo from the ‘90s?
Do you know what’s entertaining about being a sports fan? A part of it can be comparing the past players to the current players. Go ahead and ask anybody who has watched the NBA since the '90s, and you’ll find a lot of people saying they had a LeBron James before James even touched the court. His most common comparison was to Hall of Famers Scottie Pippen and Grant Hill. People can’t help themselves because they’re fascinated with the concept of renewal. That’s why people should be ready to come face to face with this duo that might resonate deeply with ’90s Portland fans.
Portland is definitely planning something very special with its young players. Especially in the backcourt with Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. Call me crazy, but are they not similar to that of Terry Porter and Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler? Sharpe is already on his way to leading the team in points per game, which leaves Henderson to actually perform as a point guard.
Now, as we can see, Henderson is entering his third season. The 21-year-old is going to have a hard time getting minutes, or even starting, now that the Trail Blazers got back two all-star quality guards. They got back their pride and joy in Damian Lillard, and they brought back two-time champ Jrue Holiday. This decision by Portland can very well be the push needed to accelerate Henderson’s production into that of an all-star. However, what if they need someone else? On the other hand, with both guards being 35 years of age, Henderson might not need to wait too long before becoming a full-time starter. The potential is there as he’s averaged 13 points and five assists per game in his first two seasons of his career. If he were to play 36 minutes per game, he’s expected to average close to 17 points and seven assists per game. Those are solid numbers to put up as a starting point guard.
Let’s go back to Sharpe for a bit. He’s a six-foot-six shooting guard who had a jump in productivity last season. Out of the 72 games he’s played, he started for 52 of them. He averaged close to 19 points, five rebounds, and three assists per game for the 2024-25 season. To the Trail Blazers fans, Sharpe’s 2024-25 season, which was his third season, should be very familiar to you. That season is very reminiscent of Clyde the Glide, who averaged practically the same as Sharpe, except for the fact that Drexler grabbed eight rebounds compared to Sharpe’s five. I mean, come on, both players were even in the dunk contest! There are too many coincidences not to say this could be a possibility.
The duo of Porter and Drexler, with a great supporting cast, resulted in two finals trips. One in 1990 against the Bad Boy Pistons, and the other in 1992 against the Bulls. Replicating two finals trips for the young backcourt is possible if they continue to trend upwards in development. Also, with a bit of luck on their side. Nevertheless, the guards are young and have time to become a monstrous threat as their 90s counterparts.
