The Portland Path Blazers aren’t ok to be drafting for match, and that’s why the crew chosen Chinese language massive man Yang Hansen within the first-round of the 2025 NBA Draft one 12 months after taking one other middle, Donovan Clingan, within the lottery. The Blazers have been broadly panned for “reaching” for Hansen, a projected second spherical decide, at No. 16 general, together with by me at this website. Nicely, after watching him at Las Vegas Summer time League and early within the NBA preseason, I can already see the imaginative and prescient of Portland’s entrance workplace.
Hansen performed his second preseason sport on Friday evening, and it was electrical. Because the Path Blazers beat the Kings, 124-123, Hansen appeared like one of the best participant on the ground throughout his 17 minutes of taking part in time. He ended the evening with 16 factors, 4 rebounds, three blocks, and an help on 5-of-8 taking pictures from the ground, 2-of-3 taking pictures from three, and 4-of-4 taking pictures from the foul line. Portland out-scored Sacramento by 9 factors when he was on the ground.
The numbers are glorious, but in addition don’t actually matter as a result of it’s simply preseason. What’s extra encouraging is simply how snug the rookie massive man appeared on the ground, displaying a candy taking pictures stroke, some creation capacity off the dribble, and bonafide rim safety. Watch the highlights right here:
Hansen was known as “the Chinese language Jokic” coming into the draft, and that’s ridiculous. I really feel horrible for placing it on this headline, however that’s the sport in the case of free-to-read web sports activities articles. A disclaimer: No younger basketball participant ought to ever be in comparison with Nikola Jokic. The Denver Nuggets famous person has been one of the best participant on this planet for the final 5 years, and he’s displaying no indicators of slowing down at 30 years previous. Jokic goes down as a top-10 participant all-time when it’s mentioned and accomplished, and he’s going to power some actually uncomfortable conversations about his place vs. your childhood favorites.
With that disclaimer out of the way in which, Hansen does share some similarities with Jokic, simply not when it comes to his all-around influence. He’s a bit slow-footed at 7’1, 260 kilos, however he performs at his personal velocity and infrequently seems rushed. This pump-and-go drive is a superb instance: there’s the behind-the-back dribble, the spin transfer, and the flexibility to leverage his power and size to get near the basket earlier than ending with gentle contact.
That’s a reasonably transfer, and it’s particularly efficient if he can maintain ripping the nets from three-point vary as he did on Friday.
It’s laborious to say how impactful Hansen might be as a rookie. He’s doubtless going to battle with fouls — he had 5 fouls in 17 minutes on this sport! He might have turnover points too as he tries some daring passes, and he had three on this sport. I additionally assume faster guards are going to have the ability to roast Hansen within the pick-and-roll as he tries to stand up to the extent of the display. He doesn’t have a lot protection versatility defensively, wanting largely like a drop-style massive so far, and that may cap his worth some.
Groups spent the pre-draft course of asking about what Hansen couldn’t do. The Blazers are a believer in what he can do, and typically that’s all a younger participant wants. I don’t know if Hansen and Clingan can play collectively, however two massive pairings are all the fashion across the league proper now, so possibly it’s not that loopy.
One factor is for certain: it’s going to be superior to observe Hansen attempt to determine his place within the league no matter how impactful he finally ends up being. This seems like one of many higher tales going within the NBA proper now. Get on board early.
