Yang Hansen reached out for the ball, but his teammates still didn’t pass it to him. From the star players to the role players, young Yang still needs to adjust.

Today was the Trail Blazers’ last preseason match against the Jazz. In the end, they fell short with a 129-132 loss. Chinese fans remained very attentive to Yang Hansen’s play. Yet, compared to the earlier two games, his performance today was disappointing, primarily because of foul control. Yang Hansen, like in the first preseason game, fouled out with six personal fouls today.

The center Yang Hansen guarded today was undoubtedly a heavyweight. Both Kessler and Nurkic are physically strong players. Yang Hansen’s fouls today, especially those involving hand contact, are worth noting. Some unnecessary fouls occurred while trying to force a steal—these could have been avoided. Due to fouling out early with six fouls, Yang Hansen couldn’t showcase much of his offensive skills. The only highlight was hitting a three-pointer, and he scored just 3 points overall. Additionally, he didn’t record any rebounds, which is an area needing improvement going forward.

Offensively, Yang Hansen also needs to gradually adapt to the competitive environment within the team. Today, he repeatedly asked teammates for the ball on the court. In many instances, he was open, yet teammates didn’t pass to him promptly when he requested it. This has caused frustration among many fans. Of course, to some extent, Yang Hansen must learn to adjust to his teammates’ choices. As a rookie, it’s unlikely he will receive a high tactical role in his first season. He needs to transition from being a core player in the CBA to a supporting role in the NBA.

In the new regular season, coaches may be more cautious with player usage. For example, if Yang Hansen makes consecutive mistakes on the court, the coach might immediately substitute him. Because the regular season affects standings and playoff contention, coaches probably won’t tolerate a player repeatedly making errors. Therefore, in the regular season, Yang Hansen must focus on fulfilling his role as a role player. He must control fouls and improve his rebounding. If he wants to elevate his offensive role, he needs to prove himself step by step steadily. Fans should be patient, as this is not something achieved overnight but may require several seasons of development.