Yang Hansen has yet to play a meaningful game in the NBA, yet he's already won Portland Trail Blazers fans over.
Hansen had a promising Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 10.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.2 blocks on 46/33/88 shooting splits during those four games. It's certainly a small sample size, but his basketball IQ, particularly his court vision, immediately stood out.
Concerns about whether Hansen's overall game can translate from the CBA to the more competitive and physical NBA are valid (although we think he will immediately put those to rest come October). But what's undeniable about Hansen's game is how seamlessly his passing will translate, regardless of competition.
Yang Hansen is the solution to Portland's playmaking problem
In fact, Hansen's elite trait could even be enhanced by playing alongside superior athletes like Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe. He had 3.8 turnovers per game in Las Vegas. As Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report pointed out [subscription required], some were due to teammates' inability to get to or handle these insane passes.
"Some of his turnovers at Summer League were entry passes to cutters going to the basket that were just a little bit outside the capacity of most of the players he was playing with in Vegas to track down. More than one time, he overthrew one of those passes and I thought to myself, 'Shaedon Sharpe or Deni Avdija is getting that,'" Highkin wrote.
Turnovers could be part of the growing pains surrounding Hansen early on, but allowing him to make these mistakes is worth unlocking Hansen's potential as someone who has drawn comparisons to Nikola Jokic thanks to his well-rounded offensive game. Jokic is a one-of-one superstar, but both have elite footwork and a rare combination of size and passing that allows them to effectively make reads over the defense.
Portland's offense was mediocre last season -- they finished tied for the 23rd-worst offensive rating (111.0). A significant factor behind that was their lack of playmaking, as the Blazers were 28th in assist % (58.7). Portland's offense was oftentimes too stagnant. Hansen offers Portland a solution to that problem as a potential offensive hub.
The Blazers are building something special by surrounding Hansen with elite defenders and athletic pieces who can complement his playmaking on the offensive end. The Blazers lack lead guards outside of Scoot Henderson, and questions this offseason have revolved around how they replace the playmaking combo guard Anfernee Simons provided. But perhaps the answer to Portland's playmaking woes lies in its frontcourt and the rookie they just drafted.