Yang Hansen was universally viewed as a second-round prospect, but the Portland Trail Blazers disagreed with that assessment. After trading back with the Memphis Grizzlies, Portland surprisingly took a chance on him with the No. 16 overall pick.
Portland has been heavily scouting Hansen for roughly two years. They came away impressed enough to take him despite any projections or the fact that they already have their center position secured with Donovan Clingan, their lottery investment just last offseason.
The Blazers fast-tracked Yang Hansen's NBA dream
That draft-day decision shocked the NBA world, Hansen included.
"My legs felt numb [walking down the steps], and I couldn't believe I was shaking hands with the commissioner already," Hansen said, according to China Daily/ChinaGlobal. "It's a dream come true. Earlier than I thought, to be honest."
Hansen didn't receive a Green Room invite, but still attended the draft in the stands. In an interview on NBA Today, ESPN's Malika Andrews asked Hansen what was on his mind when he heard his name called that early.
"For sure, it was a big shock for me," Hansen said through an interpreter. "When Adam [Silver] called my name, it surprised me. I was just sitting there finishing my fried chicken. I didn't even put my suit on. Suddenly they told me, 'Hansen, Hansen, put your suit on!'"
Hansen has yet to play a meaningful game in the NBA, yet he has already won over fans with his humble, hilarious, and overall likable personality. The fried chicken story was only one of several viral comments Hansen has made this summer. The comparisons to "Baby Jokic" are just as accurate off the court as they are on the court regarding his goofy attitude and ability not to take basketball too seriously.
However, this begs the question: how much fried chicken did Hansen have left to finish? He could have been timing it so that he was done before the No. 19 overall selection. Qingdao Eagles general manager mentioned that Hansen had a promise from the Brooklyn Nets at pick No. 19, according to Nets Daily. That could explain why he was up in the stands at Barclays in the first place. This is the type of deep diving we need to do this late into the offseason.
On a more serious note, it also shows that Blazers general manager Joe Cronin navigated the draft well. He traded back as far as he felt comfortable, balancing the acquisition of future assets against the risk of Hansen being off the board at that point. Portland was initially criticized for "reaching" for a projected second-round pick, but that decision looks increasingly better the more familiar everyone becomes with his game.
The Blazers were wise to be the ones to grant Hansen his NBA wish sooner than he expected.