The Trail Blazers’ decision to select Yang Hansen 16th overall in the 2025 draft has continued to look more and more confounding with the passing of time. It was clear from day one that he was a project pick that needed patience, but there was a concerning lack of encouraging results during his rookie season. Portland fans have been searching for clarity on the thought process behind picking him to little avail.
But a new hope has arisen. Watching the playoffs lately, a roster construction trend has cropped up that helps make the Hansen choice make sense. Size, or more specifically, size intersected with skill, is king right now around the NBA, and Portland’s young center provides that.
Skilled bigs are running the league in the playoffs
Looking at the remaining teams in the postseason— Oklahoma City, San Antonio, New York, Cleveland, and Detroit— they all have something in common, personnel-wise. Each of the clubs has sizable frontcourts and the option to run double-big lineups. On top of that, the big men on these teams are more than just traditional paint beasts. Most of them have some level of ball skills: shooting, driving, passing, or even all of the above.
The Thunder are the prime example of this phenomenon. Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Jaylin Williams are all very versatile players on both ends. Holmgren is an advanced scorer at every level who can oscillate seamlessly between the four and five spots. Hartenstein is a seasoned hub passer with a high-low action feel. Williams can shoot the three and dish sweet dimes from the post.
As mentioned, though, OKC doesn’t have the skilled big market cornered. San Antonio has Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet. The Knicks have Karl-Anthony Towns. Cleveland has Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and Thomas Bryant. Detroit has Jalen Duren, Paul Reed, and Isaiah Stewart. Even teams that have already been eliminated have guys of this mold, like Naz Reid in Minnesota and Onyeka Okongwu in Atlanta.
All of those players are in different places on the skill spectrum, but they all do something that’s different than the stereotypical center, and they’re also all big dudes. Luckily for the Trail Blazers, Yang Hansen fits that description, too.
Fans should be excited, not discouraged, about Yang Hansen
It’s true that Hansen is extremely raw (like, not-an-NBA-player levels of raw) right now. But a few things are fundamentally true about him that should reassure his skeptics.
First and foremost, he’s 7’1” and weighs 270 pounds. Usually, guys who are that big can play in the league. That doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand.
Secondly, he has flair to his game that most players of his size don’t. He has real passing vision. He has shooting potential. He can create his own shot in the post; he’s not reliant on others making plays for him.
It’s those abilities paired with his monster frame that paint the picture of a promising future for Hansen. Giants like him have high floors in the league and become impactful pieces more often than not, unless they have awful feel, coordination, and touch, like Tacko Fall and Jamarion Sharp. Yang doesn’t fall in that bucket.
Finally, don’t forget, he’s only 20 years old! Those three facts, along with the lineup trends in the 2026 playoffs, should get you feeling more excited about Yang Hansen. Don’t quit on the kid just yet.
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