The Portland Trail Blazers made a bold decision to draft Yang Hansen with the 16th overall pick in he 2025 NBA Draft. Prior to his being taken, Hansen was projected to possibly slip to the second round.
Hansen wooed the Blazers with his ability to pass from the high post and his ability to block shots at the rim. He's raw, but there is a lot of talent there to work with.
The newest Trail Blazers player is Damian Lillard. He returns after a two-year absence and has some interesting things to say about Hansen's future.
More news: Blazers' Yang Hansen Had Conversation With Yao Ming Before Coming to NBA
Lillard was asked about what he thinks of Hansen during his introductory press conference. This is what he had to say.
βHe got some swag to him.β
β Casey Holdahl (@CHold) July 22, 2025
Had to get @Dame_Lillardβs thought on his new rookie teammate @Hans15Y after his official re-introductory press conference pic.twitter.com/ytbpsTEjpA
"Yeah, I mean, I didn't know much about him before. One of my assistants in Milwaukee in my first year actually coached him in China. And he spoke highly of him, so as soon as they picked him... and watching him during Summer League, I was like 'this a real player'."
Lillard is clearly impressed with what he's seen from the young center so far. He is a great player who has a lot of potential, and Lillard sees that he could become a great player if he gets the time to develop.
Hansen is likely going to be the backup center in Portland behind Donovan Clingan. If Robert Williams III is still on the roster before the season starts, he might be behind him, too.
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Regardless, he is going to get enough time to develop. They don't need him to be good right away, but they would love it if he could contribute to the team two or three years from now.
At that point, Lillard will be back with the team and could be throwing Hansen some passes. If Lillard thinks he is going to be a good player, that has to give Hansen some confidence.
Hansen needs to improve his foot speed. That's his biggest deficiency right now, but that's something that the coaching staff is going to work on during his rookie season.
Hansen showed enough during Summer League that fans should be very excited about him.
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For more news and notes on the Portland Trail Blazers, visit Portland Trail Blazers on SI.
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