Going a perfect 3-0 in their attempt to retain the KitKing Trophy, the reigning League champions recovered from an 82-76 loss to Birmingham with convincing wins against Worthing, Thames Valley and Bradford, plus a gutsy OT road victory against last season's runners up Essex Rebels.
The perfect response from Henderson's side, and he sees his players only getting better.
"We're still getting readjusted to each other, still adjusting to some new plays, new sets at both ends, but I feel like the KitKing Trophy was a great opportunity to do that," Henderson said.
"Unfortunately, we dropped our first game against a very well-drilled City of Birmingham side; they showed up and we needed to do a better job.
"We've improved, though; the energy in practice since that loss has been fantastic. We responded to that loss with a win; with the urgency and intensity we've been putting in, we can only get better."
Henderson will see just how much better his team is getting as they continue their D1M campaign, with contests against Newcastle, Bristol and Loughborough in the coming weeks.
"I feel we've been looking after the ball well. We have been a bit more intense. The guys are communicating and moving the ball quicker, and there has been positive energy; these things make teams successful," Henderson said.
"Every game is tough in this league, but I want us to focus on one team at a time and take it each game at a time. As I said, this group has positive energy, and we are in a good place."
The bounce-back win over Worthing brought joy to Henderson's face. It was a much-needed first win of the season, and he passed his first test as head coach of the regular-season champions, which was to see if his players could recover from their first loss of the season in all competitions.
However, this is natural to Henderson, a man who has been part of the Trailblazers organisation since its humble beginnings in 2000.
One person who has been a constant in Henderson's basketball odyssey, which has seen him coach the Trailblazers D3 Men, Women, the U18 Men, and U16 Boys, is the man who led them to two trophies last season.
Matt Shaw stepped down as Derby's head coach last season, as he begins a new life in the United States. However, he is due to leave at the end of the year.
So, while Shaw is still in the country, Henderson is making the most of his guidance while he's still around.
"I've been with Trailblazers since the club started, from Division Three to here, and this club is my extended family," Henderson revealed.
"I've always looked up to Matt; I think he's a fantastic coach and an even better guy. I've learned so much from him over the last ten years roughly. His influence, basketball IQ, and knowledge are second to none.
"I have been fortunate to have great role models around me, with Matt being one of them, alongside Clarence [Wiggins].
"I'm passionate about this organisation and I want it to succeed and carry on the success that we had last season."
.
Words by John Hobbs
All image credits, including main image - Nick Higgins
