The Portland Trail Blazers didn't view Yang Hansen as a project-type prospect after shocking the world by taking him with the No. 16 overall pick after trading back with the Memphis Grizzlies. But now, 25 games into the season, we have a significant enough sample to say that Hansen is, in fact, a project. The Blazers' rookie has yet to make an impact, averaging 2.6 points and 1.8 rebounds while shooting 30% from the field in just 13 games played.
This is not to say Hansen will never pan out or prematurely declare him a bust. He's just 20 years old and deserves the benefit of the doubt as he has to adjust to life not only in the NBA but also in the United States. It's understandably a steeper learning curve relative to other rookies, and hopefully, he's able to figure it out and put together a promising career. He's also shown plenty of upside throughout summer league, training camp, and, most recently, the G League.
All that said, this is starting to look like an unnecessary risk for the Blazers front office to take on. Portland already had its center of the future solidified by hitting on the Donovan Clingan selection the year prior. With so much roster uncertainty, it would've been beneficial to address other positions or areas of need.
Blazers' opportunity cost of drafting Yang Hansen continues to grow
It's not just the risk, it's also the growing opportunity cost. If they did want to double down at the same position, Derik Queen was right there! He was even being mocked to the Blazers as a potential selection. The idea of using Hansen as an offensive hub to leverage Portland's lengthy, athletic roster can also apply to Queen, who is actually doing it in New Orleans. Blazers fans saw that firsthand in Portland's blowout loss to New Orleans, where Queen finished with a well-rounded stat line of 17 points, seven assists, and five rebounds, constantly looking to get teammates involved.
Another player who was being mocked to Portland was Cedric Coward, who wound up being the No. 11 overall selection in their draft-day trade with Memphis. Coward has Pacific Northwest ties, playing collegiately at Willamette University. He's also a reliable floor spacer, which would've done wonders for a Blazers roster that ranks dead last in three-point efficiency.
It's easy to say in hindsight that Queen or Coward should've been the picks after their hot starts. There were other prospects in play at 11 that seem like projects as well, including Chicago's Noa Essengue and San Antonio's Carter Bryant. Bulls fans should be especially frustrated for passing on Queen, given their glaring need for a long-term center.
But at least Chicago put themselves in a position to at least try to land the right player. Portland just took itself out of the running entirely.