The Portland Trail Blazers have now won three of their last four games after a 122-109 road win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Given the convincing nature of the win and the fact that Portland still has a shorthanded roster that remains without Jerami Grant, Jrue Holiday, Blake Wesley, Scoot Henderson, and Matisse Thybulle, one would assume that rookie Yang Hansen would've been able to crack the rotation. However, that wasn't the case, as interim head coach Tiago Splitter elected to play Hansen for just two minutes.
Hansen was ineffective in that limited stretch, missing his only field goal (a three-pointer) and showing up in the stat book with one turnover. In fact, he managed to record a -5, which is concerning when considering he played just two minutes, and the Blazers won by 13.
The message sent to Hansen tonight has been consistent throughout the entirety of his underwhelming rookie season: the Blazers do not trust him enough to make an immediate impact.
Yang Hansen is not ready for the NBA
Portland has dealt with as many injuries as any team in the league, which in theory would've given Hansen more opportunity to showcase the potential that made him a No. 16 overall pick. Instead, he's been buried at the end of the bench, making as much of an impact as the Blazers' injured players.
He was always going to be a project coming over from the CBA to the NBA, and he still has plenty of time to figure things out at just 20 years old. But this recent stretch should be a wake-up call for Hansen.
Portland can afford to be patient with his development, but at the same time, things evolve quickly in the NBA, and he could soon find himself playing back in China if he doesn't drastically improve.
Hansen has, unfortunately, looked lost on both ends of the court as he has struggled to adjust to the speed of the NBA in particular.
Defensively, he offers rebounding and rim protection given his 7-foot-1 frame, but that hasn't stopped him from being a liability as teams frequently look to exploit his lack of lateral mobility out on the perimeter.
Offensively, Hansen remains a work in progress as well. His high basketball IQ is the only thing working in his favor at this point, as he lacks a go-to move to make an impact, among several other things.
Splitter is a former big man himself, which should hopefully help Hansen further refine his game. But the harsh reality is that he has a long way to go before making a significant impact on this roster, leaving many Blazers fans to question the pick after they already hit at the position with Donovan Clingan in the draft a year prior.
Hansen appears to be a quick learner, but that hasn't translated so far, as he's still struggled to keep up in the NBA. Let's hope he takes this message in stride and uses it as motivation to unlock some of that tantalizing potential, because it's not looking great for Portland's rookie.