Trail Blazers rookie Yang Hansen had his highly anticipated NBA debut, with Portland playing the Minnesota Timberwolves in their season opener. As expected, Hansen was the first center in Chauncey Billups' bench rotation, seeing immediate minutes spelling Donovan Clingan. But with a rookie receiving immediate minutes comes inevitable growing pains. Part of that steep learning curve includes receiving your first "welcome to the NBA" moment.
The good news for Hansen is that he got that out of the way early in his career and doesn't have to worry about the remaining 81 games of his rookie season. The bad news? Well, you can see for yourself:
JADEN. McDANIELS. GOODNESS. pic.twitter.com/1r7gvoEX0j
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) October 23, 2025
Jaden McDaniels just gave Yang Hansen a reality check
Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels "caught a body," and the victim goes by the name of Yang Hansen. The silver lining is that Hansen was at least trying to protect the rim, which is one of his strengths at 7-foot-1. With his elite basketball IQ, he's always in the right spot on both ends of the court.
We don't want to overreact to one posterization, as every NBA center has a similar story to tell. However, it also exposes one of Hansen's weaknesses, which was how his physical tools would translate to the physicality and athleticism of the NBA.
McDaniels is an incredible athlete for his length at 6-foot-10, but that's the reality of the NBA -- almost every team has its own version of a unicorn that defies all logic.
Hansen has been the talk of the offseason after Portland surprisingly took him with the No. 16 overall selection. The Blazers' summer league games received more viewers than the 2025 NBA Finals, and one would assume that the viewership has only increased in his actual NBA debut.
His first half proved that expectations for the rookie have to be tempered a bit as he takes time to adjust to the league. But at the same time, the offseason has also shown that it's a justified investment.
Despite Hansen's athletic limitations, he still possesses incredible potential with his passing, footwork, and overall feel for the game. McDaniels may have gotten him this time, but it's extremely early on in Hansen's promising young career. There will be countless more highlights in which he's on the other end of the exchange.
Knowing his style of play, it won't be in the form of a poster, but with his signature finesse.