Team reporter: Trail Blazers fans worry Yang Hansen might become a bust, but he still has time to shed this label.

On December 9th Beijing time, Trail Blazers reporter Kunz discussed Yang Hansen in his newest piece, noting that fans are growing concerned that the 16th pick might become a disappointment, yet Hansen still has plenty of time to change this perception. Here is Kunz’s report—

The Trail Blazers’ decision to trade down and ultimately select Yang Hansen with the 16th pick in the 2025 NBA draft may have been an unnecessary gamble.So far, this pick has yet to yield any returns, and recent performances on the court have only heightened fans’ worries that the rookie might risk becoming a bust.

In the game against the Memphis Grizzlies, due to Klingen’s calf injury and Robert Williams missing out because of illness, Yang Hansen made his first career start. Unfortunately, he was clearly not ready for this opportunity: playing 19 minutes, he shot 2 of 5, scoring just 4 points with 5 rebounds and 2 assists, along with 2 turnovers. Despite the high expectations for his starting debut, he quickly got into foul trouble—matched up against the physically strong 7’3” center Zach Edey—resulting in very limited playing time.

However, Yang Hansen’s performance was not without some highlights; the game could be described as a “half-good showing.”He appeared noticeably more relaxed and confident in the second half, finishing with a plus-minus of +2, although the team ultimately suffered a heavy 96-119 loss. With the frontcourt depleted, interim coach Sprewell increased minutes for the spacing-oriented center Dup Reese, who posted a -16 plus-minus in 19 minutes. This further confirmed that Yang Hansen remains the more dependable interior option and solidified his role in the team’s rotation depth chart.

Despite the anticipation for this starting debut, Yang Hansen’s performance was clearly disappointing. Selecting him at 16 was a surprising move, as expectations were high—especially after his strong showings in the Summer League and training camp. However, this form has not translated to regular season success; so far, he averages only 2.6 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game, with shooting percentages of 30% from the field, 6.3% from three, and 90% from the free-throw line.

To be fair, Yang Hansen’s performance after being assigned to the G League tells a different story. In three games for the Rip City Remix, he averaged 16.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.3 steals, and 2.0 blocks, shooting 46.3% from the field and 30.8% from three. However, this stark contrast in performance highlights the core issue he faces as a rookie.

Industry consensus previously predicted Yang Hansen would be selected in the second round, mainly due to concerns that his CBA advantages would not translate well to the NBA level.Physically, the skills he easily executed in the CBA don’t work in the NBA, yet he can still showcase them in the G League—this explains the significant gap in his stats between the two leagues.

At 20 years old, Yang Hansen still has plenty of time to shake off the “bust” label, and it’s not entirely his fault: the Trail Blazers’ unconventional draft move set unrealistic expectations for him. However, given the current situation, his development trajectory looks concerning. If he wants to carry a significant role on the Trail Blazers, he has a long way to go, and this first career start is the clearest evidence of that.

The Trail Blazers’ draft decision has begun to frustrate fans, who have watched players they could have chosen—such as Coward and Quinn—shine on other teams, while the Blazers missed out on these quality rookies due to trying to be “too clever.”