How close is Han-Sen Yang to becoming an NBA star? Tuo Media analyzes four major obstacles: Klingen is one of them

In the second preseason game, Han-Sen Yang exploded with 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 blocks in 17 minutes. On October 12 Beijing time, Trail Blazers reporter Reese Kunz penned an article about Yang’s prospects. Kunz believes Yang has four major challenges to surpass before becoming a star for the Trail Blazers, as outlined below—

1. Foul trouble

“You have to be on the court to make an impact,” a saying often used for injury-prone players, also applies to Yang’s early foul issues. In his preseason debut against the Golden State Warriors, he fouled out after just 21 minutes; although his overall performance improved against the Kings, he still committed 5 fouls in 17 minutes.

One concern from outside was whether Yang’s style could smoothly transition from the CBA to the more competitive and physically demanding NBA. Early signs show that the increased intensity of interior contact is the main reason for his foul problems. Thanks to his high basketball IQ, he consistently positions himself well on defense, but to earn more minutes, he must adjust his defensive approach to cut down on unnecessary fouls.

2. Game speed

Even more worrying than physical contact is the pace of the game. Billups praised Yang’s performance in training camp but clearly pointed out that his struggle to keep up with the game’s speed is his only negative aspect.

“He’s doing well and working hard in practice. Offensively, his pick-and-roll quality is high, and he shows some playmaking ability, but the NBA’s pace is very fast, and he hasn’t fully adapted yet,” Billups said. “However, his feel for the game and basketball IQ are excellent, so he doesn’t seem completely out of sync... I think his performance is commendable.”

For Yang, who stands 2.16 meters tall and weighs 118 kilograms, speed will never be his strong suit. The key issue is not becoming an elite athlete but learning to maintain rhythm within his style without being disrupted by the fast pace.

Because his offensive and defensive traits resemble Nikola Jokic’s, Yang is often compared to a “Little Jokic,” with star potential and even the possibility of becoming the team’s offensive centerpiece like the Nuggets’ Jokic. But before that, he must learn to control the game’s tempo and leverage his strengths rather than passively adjusting to the pace.

3. Turnover issues

Turnover problems are directly linked to Yang’s ability to adapt to the NBA’s rhythm. During the Summer League, he averaged 3.75 turnovers per game; initially, it was expected that having teammates better at handling his passes would ease this issue. However, early preseason games show no improvement—he still averaged 3.5 turnovers in the first two games.

Still, turnover issues in the early career stage are not entirely unacceptable: they at least indicate Yang is getting the ball and willing to attack actively. As mentioned earlier, to reach his potential, Yang needs to become the offensive hub at the top of the key for the Trail Blazers, consistently creating scoring opportunities. But before taking on this responsibility, he must first learn to manage turnovers.

Of course, there is a delicate balance here: risky passes and his rare anticipation skills are key traits that make him a promising young talent. In the future, he must find a better balance between “daring to pass” and “reducing turnovers.”

4. Donovan Klingen

Yang is only 20 years old, and the issues mentioned above will be resolved as he gains experience. But what is less certain now is his future role and playing time.

In the game against the Kings, Yang hit consecutive three-pointers, suggesting the Trail Blazers might try pairing him with Klingen in a “dual big” lineup. However, Billups currently has no plans for this, so most of the time, he must choose one of the two to stay on the court.

With Klingen’s improved conditioning and Ayton’s departure, Klingen’s playing time is expected to increase this season; this further limits Yang’s role in the already crowded Trail Blazers frontcourt. This creates a “catch-22”: Yang needs to prove himself worthy of more minutes, but limited playing time hinders his development.