As the head coach, how did Splitt rate Yang Hanson's debut performance? His comments were very fair!

Previously assigned to the development league for further growth, Chinese player Yang Hanson got a starting opportunity with the Trail Blazers today.

In the game where the team fell to the Grizzlies, he made his first NBA start, logging 19 minutes and 13 seconds with 4 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 turnovers on 2-of-5 shooting.

This moment also carries extraordinary meaning for the Chinese men's basketball team.

It is the first time in 5,354 days that a Chinese player has started an NBA game again!

The last player to start was Yi Jianlian, who started for the Wizards against the Cavaliers on April 1, 2011.

So, how did young Yang perform?

“He had a rough start, but improved later on. This was a valuable experience for him, competing against a big man with similar size and strength. It was a great lesson.”

This was the candid assessment from the Trail Blazers’ interim head coach, Splitt, about him.

In this game, Yang Hanson matched up against the Grizzlies’ big man, Zach Edey.

In the first half, he was thoroughly outplayed, struggling with defensive positioning and foul control.

Before halftime, he had already accumulated 4 fouls and was forced to leave the game. During this time, his two three-point attempts missed, while Edey scored repeatedly in one-on-one situations.

Fortunately, in the second half, Yang showed growth through battle; he twice took Edey one-on-one near the basket, delivering a powerful dunk and a left-handed hook shot.

He demonstrated his offensive talent and basketball IQ.

Currently, the Trail Blazers are short-handed.

Previously, starter Klingen was sidelined due to injury, and Lowe has had a low attendance rate in recent years.

This presents a great opportunity for rookie Yang Hanson to step up.

We hope that beyond the stats, his second-half performance helped him gain confidence.

In the upcoming games, seize the chance!