While it's too early to say definitively that the Trail Blazers made a mistake with their unconventional draft selection of Yang Hansen this summer, recent developments indicate that there's at least a chance that Portland drafted the bust of the 2025 class.
Hansen showed promise this offseason, particularly with his summer league play. But unfortunately for Hansen and the Blazers, that has yet to translate to meaningful basketball games.
Yang Hansen's early struggles increase draft bust potential
The main concern surrounding Hansen as a prospect -- and why he was a projected second-round pick -- was due to his lack of speed. Things that he got away with in the CBA wouldn't necessarily translate to the faster-paced NBA.
That could explain why he stood out in the summer league but has looked out of place at times in the NBA, as his game is heavily dependent on the level of competition. However, the Blazers recently assigned Hansen to the Rip City Remix, their G League affiliate, and he's still struggled to stand out. In his first game, Hansen recorded eight points, 13 rebounds, and four assists, shooting 4-of-11 from the field and 0-of-2 from beyond the arc.
This is already proving to be a wise decision to demote Hansen to the G League, as he'll be able to increase his in-game reps. With the Blazers, he completely fell out of interim head coach Tiago Splitter's rotation, recording six consecutive DNP - coach's decisions. This was due to a combination of Hansen still needing time to adjust to the speed of the NBA, as well as Portland's crowded frontcourt, particularly with a healthy Robert Williams III.
It's important to note that Hansen is still just 20 years old and has plenty of time to justify Portland's gamble. But it's just that: a gamble. There's at least a scenario in which the learning curve of the NBA is too much for Hansen to overcome, and he becomes a wasted draft pick.
We commend Portland's front office for not being afraid to make such a high-risk, high-reward decision in their quest to add more star power; however, early on, we are already seeing the downsides associated with taking on that risk.
To make matters worse, several prospects that were projected as candidates to land with the Blazers at pick No. 11, such as Cedric Coward and Derik Queen, are already thriving with their respective teams. In other words, the opportunity cost of this Hansen gamble increases by the day.
Portland is 6-6 with no legitimate shot of a playoff run, making the development of their young core the priority this season. But instead of watching their lottery pick take meaningful strides, Blazers fans are left searching for signs of life from a project that may never pan out.
That's the price they paid to swing for the fences. While Portland waits for its G League player to become NBA-ready, other teams are already seeing production from the prospects they could've had.