With Damian Lillard gone from Blazers, this heralded rookie is first in line to fill his shoes

On Wednesday afternoon, Portland Trail Blazers GM Joe Cronin shipped all-time franchise scoring leader Damian Lillard to Milwaukee, officially shutting the door on the previous decade of basketball in Rip City. 

Lillard’s departure will leave a wound in the hearts of Blazers fans that is larger than outsiders might realize. Lillard did more than post outrageous true shooting numbers or a semi-regular 50-point game. He connected with his small-market city in a way that superstars often don't. Lillard wasn’t just the face of the franchise. He was the face of the city. His replacement will have incredibly large shoes to fill.

Enter rookie Scoot Henderson, who is first in line to fill those shoes. His shoes might be Pumas instead of the Adidas sneakers that Lillard is known for, but the point stands. The timing of Dame’s deal couldn’t be better for the third overall pick in this summer's draft.

Being the face of any NBA franchise requires some balance, however. It's not necessarily balance on the court, though that is one of Henderson's many high level-skills. Instead, it's a balance between off-court flare, a true reverence for the city he plays in and high-level on-court production.

While the Marietta, Ga., native is about as far from home as he can be in the NBA, he has made clear that Portland already feels like a long-term spot for him.

“I’m gonna embrace it. I’m gonna embrace the city of Portland, embrace all the fans, embrace all the love and the hate as well. That’s what comes with it,” Henderson told The Oregonian during the summer.

He doesn't appear to just be pandering, either. Henderson has already been spotted taking pictures with fans (sometimes wearing his own jersey) and attending University of Oregon football games. Embracing the community: check.

The flare part is taken care of, too. Remember the last time a 19-year-old graced the cover of SLAM Magazine, shirtless, wearing a chain and sunglasses, before he played a second in the NBA? Probably not. Scoot is one-of-a-kind.