Jrue Holiday had his first media availability since joining the Portland Trail Blazers (yet again). Holiday discussed his positional versatility and fit alongside Scoot Henderson in the backcourt. He also hilariously addressed Damian Lillard's complaints about the WiFi at Holiday's home in Milwaukee, which Lillard rented during his Bucks tenure, saying it "wasn't that bad".
But the standout quote came from Holiday's praise of Blazers first-round pick Yang Hansen, referring to him as a "superstar."
"He's been a superstar. He's been hooping," Holiday said. "We were talking about it earlier, how much media he's had in Vegas. He deserves it. He's been doing his thing. I'm not sure anybody saw how well he would play, but he's been playing well. I'm excited."
Holiday's praise is latest reminder Blazers nailed the Hansen pick
Despite being the No. 16 overall pick, Hansen's media coverage in the Las Vegas Summer League was historic. An in-depth article about Hansen's stardom by the Washington Post reported that a mind-blowing 5.2 million people watched Portland's game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tencent's free broadcast in China. The article also notes that the viewership of his summer league games on China Central Television exceeded some of the NBA playoff games. He's also already getting a 10-part documentary series, with over a dozen reports from China covering these games.
Oh, and Hansen hasn't even played a meaningful basketball game in the NBA.
Yang is already a media 'superstar' with several hilarious and meme-worthy quotes that make him impossible to root against. But what also shouldn't get overlooked is the possibility that the Blazers actually drafted a superstar in the player himself.
Hansen is still a bit rough around the edges, which is why he was largely projected to be a second-round pick. However, the "Chinese Jokic" comparisons are more valid than initially thought, at least in terms of Hansen and Nikola Jokic having similar strengths and weaknesses. Like Jokic, he possesses unique traits that could eventually separate him from other players in the league. Summer League was a very small sample size, but Hansen has already displayed elite footwork, basketball IQ, and most importantly, court vision, which gives him an extremely high ceiling.
Admittedly, Hansen still has a long way to go before becoming even a fraction of the player Jokic is. But by bringing in players such as Holiday and Damian Lillard, Portland is surrounding its young core with veterans, which will help them reach their potential.
Holiday is one of those rare unselfish stars who doesn't need a high usage rate to impact winning. Lillard is set to be the highest-paid "assistant coach" in history, as Chauncey Billups said. Both guards are very reliable floor spacers, too. The Blazers have already surrounded Hansen with plenty of athleticism, but they need to continue adding more shooting in order to unlock him as an offensive hub.
Portland's offseason has been difficult to understand in terms of direction and timeline. But bringing in Holiday and Lillard while subtracting Deandre Ayton are all moves that will help get the most out of Hansen. That needs to continue being a priority going forward, as they absolutely nailed the Hansen pick. Holiday's praise was the latest reminder of that.