For the first time in 2015-16, every player on the Trail Blazers roster is healthy. Before Wednesday's game versus the San Antonio Spurs, head coach Terry Stotts revealed veteran guard Gerald Henderson will make his Portland debut after missing the entire preseason and first eight games of the regular season recovering from hip surgery this summer. The 27-year-old swingman was acquired by the Trail Blazers in June via trade after six seasons with the Charlotte Hornets.
"[Henderson] is game ready," Stotts told reporters before tip-off. "He’s been practicing. He’s built up to this, so it’s not like he’s coming off the training table and going on the court. He’s had a progression. He’s physically ready. He’s been keeping up with what he needs to do to be ready to play tonight."
While Henderson won't see a heavy workload against San Antonio, Stotts expects to work him into his rotation at shooting guard and small forward, sharing minutes with Maurice Harkless and Allen Crabbe off the bench behind starters CJ McCollum and Al-Farouq Aminu. After six seasons in Charlotte mostly serving as a starter, Stotts is confident in the skills Henderson adds to his squad on the court.
"We’re going to get him in the game in the first half and see how it goes," said Stotts. "He’s not going to come in and play 30 minutes. It’s important that he gets on the court, gets his sea legs and gets a feel of being back on an NBA court."
The haead coach continued: "He’s shown over the course of his career he’s been a very good defender. He’s a dynamic athlete. He’s a good mid-range shooter. He’s improved his three-point shooting. He’s a very smart player. He’s been picking up all the things that we want to do.
"I think his integration should go pretty smoothly."
The Trail Blazers tip-off with the Spurs at 7:30 on ESPN and KGW.