From the CBA to the NBA, Yang Hansen needs to relearn how to secure rebounds.

There was little suspense in the Trail Blazers vs. Lakers game itself, as the Lakers are suffering from a wave of injuries, with many main players missing. Today’s lineup was essentially a blend of half Lakers and half South Bay Lakers competing against the Trail Blazers.

Ultimately, the Trail Blazers won without much effort, and Yang Hansen got his most extended regular rotation minutes since the season began, playing 7 minutes and 22 seconds. Including over a minute of garbage time, Yang Hansen’s total playing time reached 8 minutes and 36 seconds, marking a career high.

Unlike previous games where Yang Hansen only appeared in the first quarter, today he played in both the first and second quarters, though his performance was honestly quite poor.

At the start of the first quarter, Yang Hansen actually received quite a few offensive opportunities. However, he missed both open three-point attempts. He executed a nice spin move in the low post against Ayton but couldn’t finish the layup after turning around. Fortunately, he drew a foul and made 1 of 2 free throws.

That single point was all Yang Hansen produced in the first quarter — no rebounds, assists, or fouls, and his perfect free throw shooting was broken.

In the second quarter, Yang Hansen entered the game at 9 minutes and 15 seconds, immediately giving up a mid-range shot to Ayton. He made a nice offensive play setting a screen for Gortat, which was the highlight of his day.

Afterward, Yang Hansen’s aggressive attack failed, exposing his lack of physicality. He managed to grab an offensive rebound but then tried to power through Ayton and turned the ball over. Later, he was caught in a pick-and-roll by Reeves and Ayton, who scored again over him. If I’m not mistaken, Ayton hit three mid-range shots against Yang Hansen today, clearly targeting his defense.

On offense, after missing two open threes, Yang Hansen seemed to lose some confidence, though he did set a few good screens. Defensively, his pick-and-roll defense is still too inexperienced and he gets exploited whenever he tries to guard it.

Yang Hansen appears somewhat hesitant on the court, unsure where to position himself, and his screens for teammates are tentative. In one play, he even accidentally screened a teammate when driving inside, showing a lack of familiarity in coordination.

At this stage, Yang Hansen isn’t getting proper rotation minutes. The time he does get is partly because the Trail Blazers want him to adjust to the NBA’s intensity and partly because Lowry is still on the injury list.

Over these games, Yang Hansen has averaged 6.2 minutes per game, scoring 7 points and grabbing 4 rebounds in four matches. As a 2.18-meter center, pulling down only 4 rebounds in 25 minutes is frankly too few. His rebounding deficiency is currently the most obvious issue.

Many times, Yang Hansen fails to fully box out his opponent behind him and cannot turn his height advantage into a rebounding edge. Sometimes he focuses only on positioning without reaching out to grab the rebound, watching as teammates or opponents snatch the ball away.

If you keep your eyes on Yang Hansen, you might feel worried for him at times. This is the NBA, where every rebound must be contested and fought for; rebounds don’t just fall into your hands. In the CBA, many rebounds literally drop into players’ hands without needing to jump, but the NBA’s pace is so fast that if you don’t fight for it, you lose it.

Right now, the biggest gap between Yang Hansen and Klingman is rebounding. Klingman averages 9.5 rebounds in just 25.5 minutes per game, ranking among the league’s best in rebounding efficiency. Yang Hansen still has a lot to learn.

Transitioning from the CBA to the NBA, Yang Hansen definitely needs to relearn how to aggressively secure rebounds, increase his initiative and aggressiveness, and play tougher. Recently, I’ve seen many harsh criticisms of Yang Hansen, which he can also see in the U.S. The outside pressure is huge, and Yang Hansen must grow under this pressure—that is an inevitable path for him in the NBA.

As I’ve said before, Yang Hansen deserves plenty of patience. The Trail Blazers, with so many centers, see him as a developmental prospect rather than an immediate contributor. Both Billups and now Sprewell have emphasized giving Yang Hansen a long runway of patience.

Personally, I hope Yang Hansen gets time in the G League to develop, but the G League hasn’t started yet—it begins on November 7. The G League’s intensity might be more suitable for Yang Hansen at this stage, allowing him ample playing time to rebuild confidence.

After four games, I believe fans have set their lowest expectations for Yang Hansen’s rookie season. Fans should lower their hopes, and the media should view Yang Hansen rationally. The road ahead is long, and hopefully, every step will be steady and solid.