Yang Hansen's biggest issue right now is his bad habits.

After everyone was excited about Yang Hansen's standout performance for a day, it's necessary to take a step back and look at the biggest trouble he displayed in these two games—his fouling problem.

After two preseason games, the Trail Blazers' beat reporter identified four major problems with Yang Hansen: too many fouls, lack of speed, excessive turnovers, and poor chemistry with starting center Klingen.

Out of these four issues, the last three are quite solvable. To improve speed, he just needs more practice to enhance his mobility and adapt to NBA-level intensity; turnovers are normal for rookies—today, Flagg even had 4 assists but 5 turnovers. As for Yang Hansen, it’s unlikely he will play alongside Klingen since realistically they are direct competitors.

Yang Hansen's biggest problem in these two games is his inability to control his fouls on the court. In both games, he committed a foul in the very first possession—fouling Horford on a rebound and being beaten by Sasa's Euro-step for a 2+1.

In the first preseason game and the first quarter of the second, Yang Hansen acted like a rookie, clumsy and careless, committing fouls easily. He played 21 minutes in the first game but fouled out with six fouls, and although he performed well in the second game, he still had to leave early after picking up his fifth foul in 17 minutes.

Yang Hansen’s roughness on defense is so apparent that even a center like Eubanks seems tempted to challenge him physically, and Yang did end up committing fouls on him. Media evaluations often praise Yang's offensive talent but at best say his defense provides decent rim protection.

Judging from Yang Hansen’s sixth foul in the first game and fifth foul yesterday, his worst bad habit right now is illegally using his hands to extend his defensive reach.

In the last screen foul of the first game, Yang Hansen was already committing a foul as soon as he set the screen—his hands were not clear, one hand was stuck in front of the defender, and the other slightly pushed forward. Being called for a screening foul in this situation is completely normal. Although his screening technique is generally good, he must be more precise with his hand placement during screens.

Yesterday’s fifth foul was also due to his hands. When jumping simultaneously for the ball with a defender, Yang Hansen’s elbow unintentionally pressed against the defender’s back, pushing him slightly. Such contact during an aerial contest is very obvious and always results in a foul call.

It’s understandable that Yang Hansen picks up fouls easily when guarding strong centers like Horford or Sasa—this is part of the learning process. But if he continues to foul frequently against less skilled centers, that becomes his own problem.

Ironically, Yang Hansen was the 2024 CBA Defensive Player of the Year, averaging 2.2 blocks per game, ranking second in the league and first among domestic players. Yet after a year of growth, he struggles to control fouls in the NBA, showing that the gap between the two leagues is huge.

When discussing Yang Hansen’s foul issues yesterday, I said he’s like a top student from an average class who transferred to an advanced class—what once made him proud is now ordinary among his new peers, and the bad habits he developed in the average class are magnified in the advanced setting.

Those who cannot accept this gap might become discouraged day by day. But those with true ambition will gradually catch up, recognize the differences, start anew, and improve every day until they stand shoulder to shoulder with the best. I hope Yang Hansen is the latter and works hard to close the gap.

Of course, the first thing he must do is eliminate the bad habit of illegal hand use. He knows this leads to fouls, but due to physical differences, he can’t easily get around or jump over opponents, so he instinctively resorts to using his hands. From now on, in training and games, he must keep his hands under strict control and avoid giving away fouls so easily.

Every minute on the court is crucial for Yang Hansen right now. It’s clear that Coach Luepus gave him ample time in the preseason to make mistakes and learn. He played more minutes than Klingen in these two games but was forced off early due to foul trouble.

The premise of gaining experience is staying on the court, and staying on the court requires avoiding fouls. The same advice applies to Zeng Fanbo, who also had too many fouls in the first China game. Hopefully, Zeng Fanbo performs better in tonight’s second China game.