O.D.D — Overly Determined to Dominate.
That’s Scoot Henderson’s self-chosen motto — he even filed to trademark it with the United States Patent and Trademark Office — so what did you expect him to say when he talked on Playmaker about his rookie season?
“My goal, obviously, is to win Rookie of the Year, and I will win Rookie of the Year.”
A lofty goal, but not one wildly out of reach.
For obvious reasons, Victor Wembanyama will be the heavy favorite to win ROY — he’s the most heralded player of a generation, and the Spurs don’t have a lot of other high-level scoring options to lean on (plus he should be a defensive force out of the gate). However, the Spurs are also expected by many around the league to slow-play Wembanyama’s development — they are not bringing in veterans and pushing for a playoff slot this season. The Spurs are thinking long-term, as they always do.
There is room under that for another player, such as Henderson (or Chet Holmgren, possibly), to slide in and win the award. That is especially true if (as expected by most around the league) the Trail Blazers trade Damian Lillard before the start of the season, putting the ball in Henderson’s hands from Day 1.
That’s where Henderson’s O.D.D. comes in.
“O.D.D., it’s a moto, like a slogan kind of thing. It means overly determined to dominate…” Henderson told NBC Sports during All-Star Weekend last February. “And I just came up with that based off how I look at life and how I look at, you know, the game of basketball. And how everybody should really just dominate their day and you know, maximize it.”
Whether or not he wins ROY, expect a big season from Henderson. And more than just one season.
