The Portland Trail Blazers quietly have a pretty stacked center rotation. Most people look to the guards – Ja Morant, Damian Lillard, and Jrue Holiday – or even the wings, with Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, and Shaedon Sharpe. But with how many solid centers they have on the roster, second-year big man Yang Hansen might not get much playing time.
Head coach Micah Nori said as much. Portland is happy with how Yang has looked good. But at the end of the day, the Blazers have a bunch of guys in front of him. Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams were the first two names that came to mind for Nori, but the Blazers also have Micah Potter and Branden Carlsen on the roster. Finding a place for Yang may not be easy.
If Portland plans on competing for a playoff spot this year, which, by all counts, is the case, then Yang may find himself on the outside of the rotation looking in all over again.
Yang Hansen might be a rotation afterthought
Here is the full quote from Nori from a recent media availability. He discussed Yang’s potential spot in the rotation. While Porland may be comfortable playing him, the opportunities may not be plentiful:
“I think that he has done a very good job and his showing has been very well,” Nori said. “I think that is where we have the luxury of because with what we are going to do rotation wise and how we are going to play, if we are fully healthy, I don’t know, it may be a spot here and there, maybe a couple bigs, Robert or Donovan get into foul trouble and those type of things and the matchup. So by any means, it is not like we are just counting Hansen out, but if there is an opportunity that arises, we feel very comfortable putting him in the basketball game.”
When the Blazers drafted Yang it came as a complete surprise. Nobody expected him to be off the board by the 16th pick, but the Blazers wanted their guy, so they made it happen.
Most people called it a terrible pick right away, but as Summer League unfolded, the believers began to churn out. People looked at the Blazers as geniuses rather than fools.
But throughout the course of his rookie season, Yang wasn’t able to get on the court much. He mainly spent his time in the G League, where he was solid, but not amazing.
Now, heading into his second campaign with the Blazers, the pressure will begin to turn up. Expectations will begin to increase, as fans will want to see him turn into the guy he was hyped up to be at Summer League.
But Clingan is going to play over him. Williams, too (even though his injury history could force him to miss time). Even Potter and/or Carlsen could earn minutes over Yang.
Nothing is guaranteed for Yang this year, and part of the reason for that is because he hasn’t established himself as someone who Nori needs to put on the floor consistently.
Yang still has a lot of work to do if he wants to become a rotation staple for the Blazers, because right now, it’s looking like he may not earn a ton of playing time during his sophomore season.
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