The Portland Trail Blazers could've had Derik Queen, but decided to take a more risky, unconventional approach with their draft selection of Yang Hansen. Halfway through their respective rookie seasons, this decision is already proving to be incorrect.
Queen currently ranks fourth on the Kia Rookie Ladder, averaging a well-rounded 12.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. Meanwhile, Hansen is virtually unplayable for Tiago Splitter and the Blazers. He remains a significant work in progress on both ends of the court and would likely be better off staying in the G League at this point to gain valuable reps while he adjusts to the speed of the game compared to the CBA.
Blazers should've taken Derik Queen instead of Yang Hansen
If Portland wanted to bolster its frontcourt by finding someone to play alongside Donovan Clingan, Queen was right there! He was projected to be in Portland's range at pick No. 11, while Hansen was a widely projected second-round pick. Early on, we're seeing why there was such a significant disparity between the two prospects.
Making this even more puzzling is that Hansen's strengths are very similar to Queen's. Both have upside as potential offensive hubs with their elite court vision and basketball IQ. Only Queen can actually apply those strengths at the NBA level. He did the same thing at Maryland, and his unique skill set has translated to the next level even better than many expected.
Admittedly, there were red flags surrounding Queen that have been exposed in New Orleans. He's not a great rim protector at 6-foot-9 and can't effectively space the floor, shooting just 17.9% from beyond the arc. As a result, the Pelicans are left wondering how to compensate for these weaknesses.
But you know who would mask those weaknesses? Donovan Clingan.
Clingan is already an elite rim protector and has drastically improved his shooting in his second season, knocking down 31.8% of his threes on 2.8 attempts per game. Having Clingan as a defensive anchor and Queen to help initiate offense alongside the Blazers' athletic backcourt, complementing his passing ability, would've been a perfect fit for their young core.
Alas, the Blazers swung for the fences. His positional size compared to Queen's does, in theory, give Hansen more upside if he's ever able to put it all together at the NBA level. But that's looking increasingly unlikely given the lack of progress he's shown this season.
Queen, despite his flaws as a prospect, was the safer option. And now the Blazers are paying the price for their unnecessary draft gamble.