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Associated Press
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Trail Blazers see 7-2 Chinese center Yang Hansen as a unique and versatile talent
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Yang Hansen is going to fit into American culture just fine. The Trail Blazers' 7-foot-1 Chinese center was introduced to Portland on Friday, and was asked about his interests. Turns out, he's already a gamer. 'Sometimes I sleep. All the time, sleep. I like to play PS5. And I like to eat,' Yang said, laughing. Yang was the 16th pick in the NBA draft on Wednesday. While some were surprised that he went as early as he did, the Blazers had been scouting him for two years. Yang averaged 16.6 points and 10.5 rebounds last season for the Qingdao Eagles. He has played for the team in China's top pro league for the past two seasons. 'You can just tell he's been taught the right way. So a lot of things as a coach that I have to teach with young guys, I don't have to teach this kid,' Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. 'He's been taught the right way, so I'm really excited about him, and it's going to be a lot of fun.' Portland had the 11th pick in the draft but traded the draft rights to guard Cedric Coward to the Memphis Grizzlies for Yang's draft rights, a 2028 first-round pick, a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick. Blazers general manager Joe Cronin saw value in the deal and didn't want to risk dropping any lower for fear Yang would not be available. 'This is a very, very unique talent, in our opinion. He obviously has great size at 7-2, young, just turns 20 tomorrow. High, high-end skillset, his ability to pass, his basketball IQ, his functionality in the post. His ability to step out. We think he'll be a good free-throw shooter, we think he'll make perimeter jump shots as well,' Cronin said. 'Defensively, he's a really smart player that can be pretty versatile in the post with his size and IQ.' Yang, who was seated in the stands at the draft and had to make his way down to the stage when his name was called, said the comparisons he's heard to Nikola Jokic and fellow countryman Yao Ming are flattering. 'I think the Baby Joker or being compared to Yao are a big honor,' Yang said through an interpreter. 'I just try to learn from everyone, every good player, and try to improve myself every day.' ___ AP NBA:
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
7-foot-2 NBA draft prospect from China drawing comparisons to 3-time MVP Nikola Jokic
The post 7-foot-2 NBA draft prospect from China drawing comparisons to 3-time MVP Nikola Jokic appeared first on ClutchPoints. Scouts were always high on the prospects entering the 2025 NBA draft. For the majority of the 2024-2025 season, 7-foot-2 Hansen Yang fell into the category of a mystery player or a 'draft and stash' prospect. Advertisement People were skeptical about whether Yang's dominance in China could translate to the NBA. However, everyone's perception of Yang changed once the NBA draft combine and Klutch Pro Day came around. Who is 2025 NBA Draft prospect Hansen Yang? Yang has flown under the radar on most draft boards, not just because of the surplus of talent in this year's class, but for three main reasons: – Limited sample size in his game. – Recent track record of Chinese players playing in the NBA – Inferior competition Born in 2005, Yang isn't following the mold of slender, 7-foot unicorns who shoot threes all game. Yang is more of an old-school big who relies on his IQ and soft touch to generate offense. Advertisement Yang is currently in his second season in the CBA. In his first 10 games with the Qingdao Eagles, he averaged 16.3 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.7 blocks per game. Last season as a rookie, Yang averaged similar numbers and won Defensive Player of the Year. Last April, the NBA and ESPN released their latest mock drafts. Both had Yang as a late second-round pick, around the late 40s to early 50s. At the draft Combine, Yang was determined to change the narrative. As a player whose perceived weakness is with his lateral speed and quickness, Yang finished in the top 5 among centers in all dynamic performance tests. This includes the shuttle run, lane agility drill, and 3/4 sprint. Why Yang has been compared to the likes of Alperen Sengun, Nikola Vucevic, and Nikola Jokic The comparisons were always there. Most scouts just refused to give in to the hype because of his competition. During the combine, Yang's bag was on full display. On a day when most people pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of the projected top picks of the draft, Yang's play took the headlines. Advertisement He showed that he can extend his range, score (and defend) in the post against stronger centers, and deliver accurate passes. There's still a lot more scouts need to see from Yang in the coming days. Luckily, he is represented by Klutch Sports. If for some odd reason he won't hear his name called on draft night, Rich Paul most likely has something up his sleeve that ensures Yang is in the best situation for him to develop and make an NBA roster. If so, he could become a steal like Jokic. Related: Stephen A. Smith sends final NBA All-Star Game warning Related: NBA rumors: Why Tim MacMahon 'won't dismiss' Jason Kidd leaving Mavericks for Knicks
France 24
2 days ago
- Sport
- France 24
Trail Blazers pick China's Yang in NBA draft first-round surprise
The 7ft 2in (2.18m) center, who made his Chinese Basketball Association debut in 2023 and was an All-Star in each of his first two seasons with the Qingdao Eagles, had been tipped as a second-round pick. That was even after his stock had risen after a promising performance at the NBA draft combine, where some of his passes had earned comparisons to the Denver Nuggets' Serbian star Nikola Jokic -- a three-time NBA Most Valuable Player. He had individual workouts with 11 teams, including the Trail Blazers who, after swapping the 11th and 16th draft selections with the Memphis Grizzlies, grabbed Yang on Wednesday. "The Blazers had scouts scouting me in China the last couple years," Yang said. "I also had a pre-workout with them last month. Everything went very well and I got along with all the front-office people. "But at the end of the day, this is sort of beyond my wildest imagination." Icon Yao Ming, who was the number one selection in 2002, and Yi Jianlian -- who was sixth overall in 2007 -- are the only other Chinese players chosen in the first round of the draft. It made for a sensational birthday for Yang, who turned 20 on Thursday. Not included among the likely first-round prospects and given a place in the near-stage waiting room, he clambered down from the stands dressed in a white suit to shake NBA commissioner Adam Silver's hand. Yang said that after the 15th selection had been announced he noticed more cameras on him. "I just thought something was off or thought something was about to happen. So that's when I found out," Yang said. But it wasn't a coincidence that he was in the stands to see the league's 30 teams make their first-round selections. Despite the pundits' predictions, he was confident he could be among them. "I was expecting to be selected at the end of the first round," he said. "So this is definitely a big surprise for me to be selected in the middle of the first round." © 2025 AFP
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
NBA Draft surprise: China center Yang Hansen picked at No. 16, dealt to Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers provided the first shocker in the 2025 NBA Draft, nabbing China center Yang Hansen with the No. 16 pick. The Memphis Grizzlies made the pick for Portland as part of a trade that commissioner Adam Silver announced would be finalized later. Hansen, who turns 20 on Thursday, was projected to be a mid-to-late second-round pick, but the Blazers are getting him despite already having a full stable of centers. Hansen, who wasn't invited to the Green Room by the NBA, was seated in the stands when his name was called. That's why his hat didn't fit properly — he didn't get measured for his cap like other top prospects did on Tuesday. Yang is the first Chinese-born player to be drafted in the first round since Yi Jianlian in 2007, and the third-highest draft pick ever from China. Yao Ming was selected No. 1 in 2002. He joins a Blazers team that has at center former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton, last year's No. 7 pick Donovan Clingan, as well as veteran Robert Williams III. Advertisement Hansen played for the Qingdao Eagles in the Chinese Basketball Association for the past two seasons. Last season, he averaged 16.6 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists while also recording 2.6 blocks per game. He shot 33.3 percent from 3-point range. He was considered by draft analysts as a rising prospect, but no one projected him to be a first-round pick. Portland acquired the 16th pick from Memphis earlier in the draft when it traded the 11th pick to the Grizzlies. The Blazers also received a 2028 first-round pick and two second-round picks as part of the deal.
Bloomberg
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Bloomberg
China Has the NBA's Most Valuable Draft Prospect
The Dallas Mavericks were the unlikely winners of the National Basketball League's draft lottery on Monday. Their prize is the chance to get Cooper Flagg, the top college player in the country, when the NBA drafts kick off next month. However, Flagg isn't close to being the most valuable prospect on the 2025 draft board. That honor belongs to Hansen Yang, a little-known 7 feet, 2 inches tall and 249-pound center who currently plays for the Qingdao Eagles of the Chinese Basketball Association.
