The hype surrounding Portland Trail Blazers rookie Yang Hansen has already gone off the charts, and he's yet to even play a meaningful game in the NBA. In China, the Blazers' summer league games had higher TV ratings than the 2025 NBA Finals. If he ever becomes a star, the league -- and the Blazers -- will absolutely explode. If his second preseason performance was any indication, there's certainly a chance of that coming to fruition.
Hansen finished with 16 points, four rebounds, one assist, and three blocks in Portland's win over the Sacramento Kings. However, as expected, it hasn't all been picture-perfect for Portland's rookie. Hansen has displayed a few flaws that he'll need to address to reach his star ceiling, including his tendency to foul, inability to adjust to the speed of the NBA, and turnover frequency.
Foul trouble
The best ability is availability. While that cliché phrase is typically used for injury-prone players, it also can be applied to Hansen's early foul trouble problems. Hansen fouled out of his preseason debut against the Golden State Warriors after playing just 21 minutes. He was much better overall against the Kings, but still had five fouls in 17 minutes.
Part of the concern surrounding Hansen as a prospect pertained to how his game would translate from the CBA to the much more competitive and physical NBA. Early on, it appears that the increased physicality on the interior is causing him to get into foul trouble. He's consistently in the right place defensively thanks to his elite basketball IQ, but he will need to adjust his approach to defend without fouling as often if he ever wants to play significant minutes.
Speed of the game
More concerning than the physicality of the league is the speed. Chauncey Billups praised Hansen's training camp, but his rocky adjustment to the game's speed was the one negative takeaway Billups mentioned.
"He did a good job. He worked really hard. I thought offensively, he set some pretty good screens. Some playmaking ability is out there, but the game is moving really fast. He's not used to the speed of our game yet," Billups said. "But his feel is really high, his IQ is really high, so he doesn't look 'out of sorts' if you will... I thought he had a good day."
Hansen's speed will never be a strength of his at 7-foot-1, 260 pounds. But it's not about becoming an elite athlete; it's more about figuring out how not to get sped up in the context of his own game.
Hansen draws comparisons to "Baby Jokic" because of his similar strengths and weaknesses as a playmaking center. He has a star upside and can even potentially be utilized as an offensive hub, similar to Jokic in Denver. But before that happens, Hansen needs to figure out how to impose his will and pace on the game rather than vice versa.
Turnovers
Turnovers are directly tied to Hansen's ability to adjust to the speed of the NBA. He averaged 3.75 turnovers per game in the summer league. The hope was that his turnover problem in the summer league would disappear, playing alongside more talent who could handle his passes better. Early on, that doesn't appear to be the case as Hansen has averaged 3.5 turnovers through his first two preseason games.
We don't necessarily mind the turnovers early on in his career -- it likely means Hansen is getting touches and trying to be aggresive. As previously mentioned, the vision for Hansen to reach his ceiling is to become that offensive hub at the top of the key through which Portland can consistently generate offense. Prior to taking on that increased role, Hansen must figure out how to limit his turnarounds.
It's a fine line, though, as those risky passes and his rare ability to anticipate plays are also part of what makes him such an intriguing prospect. He'll need to find a better balance going forward.
Donovan Clingan
Hansen is 20 years old! These problems will eventually sort themselves out as he gains more experience. However, the one thing that seems less guaranteed is what his role and minutes will look like going forward.
Hansen connected on back-to-back threes against Sacramento, so it could be worth trying out a double-big lineup with him and Donovan Clingan. But for the most part, Billups will be forced to decide which one to have on the court at all times.
With Clingan expected to take on increased minutes thanks to his improved conditioning and the departure of Deandre Ayton, that leaves Hansen with a very confined role in Portland's crowded frontcourt. It's a catch-22 as he must prove he deserves an increased role with his play, but the lack of minutes will also be getting in the way of his development.
In just a few games, Hansen has already managed to justify Portland's unconventional selection. There have already been several plays where he's showcased his star ceiling. And if he's able to put it all together more consistently, Hansen will single-handedly be able to accelerate Portland's rebuilding timeline. The Blazers need more star power to catch up in the Western Conference race, and the fact that Hansen even has a chance of being that missing piece should have Blazers fans excited about this team's future outlook.