Blazers Draft Selection Hit With Steep Criticism

Portland's selection is drawing criticism from several people within NBA circles because of how high the Blazers drafted him.

Several draft experts pegged Hansen to go in the second round and were left floored that he was picked in the middle of the first round.

The Athletic's John Hollinger is skeptical of the pick, especially given NBA teams' inconsistent ability to scout international basketball talent.

"The fact that Yang wasn’t the best player in the Chinese league should be an immediate red flag as a first-round candidate; this is a league where guys like Kenny Lofton Jr., Harry Giles, Tacko Fall and T.J. Leaf are just wrecking people night after night, and Yang was … solid. Good, even. But not dominant," Hollinger wrote in an article on The Athletic.

"To use a few recent comparisons, this wasn’t Alperen Şengün wrecking the Turkish league as an 18-year-old or teenaged Dario Šarić and Jusuf Nurkić clowning guys in the Adriatic League. On Yang’s own team, NBA rejects Quinndary Weatherspoon and Jordan Mickey were the more valuable performers; Yang was the team’s third option.

"While Yang threw some spicy passes at the combine (where his 22 points and 8 assists in 31 minutes certainly made an impression), he had a negative assist-turnover rate in the Chinese league for the season. He’s also 20 — a year older than the one-and-dones in this draft.

"Maybe I’m wrong here and Yang blows up and makes me eat my words. But historically, data from overseas professional leagues is more predictive than the numbers from the NCAA. They don’t paint a favorable picture for the Blazers’ gamble here."

The Blazers' roster features four different centers who need minutes now, with promising rookie Donovan Clingan deserving more playing time. Robert Williams III and Deandre Ayton are two big contracts who will likely also demand minutes in the rotation.

Yang's selection might indicate potential trades coming at the center spot. Williams III and Ayton are linked to several NBA teams that are in need of centers, and given this big salary, the team might be looking to get younger and cheaper at center.

While the Blazers are getting backlash for taking Yang in the first round, the Chinese big man will have the chance to prove doubters wrong.

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