Team Reporter: Yang Hansheng Faces Triple Challenges, Executives and Coaches Never Expected Him to Become the Next Jokic Immediately

On October 20th Beijing time, Trail Blazers reporter Sean Highkin shared his assessment of Yang Hansheng’s preseason showing in a podcast, as follows —

Throughout the preseason, Yang Hansheng drew much attention. He clearly struggled to find his rhythm in the first game against the Warriors, improved in the second and third games, but then struggled again in the final game versus the Jazz — despite hitting a three-pointer, he fouled out after only 15 minutes on the court.

On social media, a video of Yang Hansheng crying on the bench and being comforted by player development coach Jett sparked widespread discussion. According to a Chinese reporter based in Portland, Yang expressed that his emotional reaction stemmed from dissatisfaction with his performance, a strong desire to play at a high level, and disappointment at fouling out.

When evaluating this young player, it is important to consider the multiple challenges he faces —

On-court physical intensity: As a rookie entering the NBA for the first time, he must cope with a level of competition and physicality far greater than in the CBA;

Language communication barrier: Communication issues caused by language differences remain unresolved, and both he and the coaching staff are working hard to overcome this obstacle;

Immense public attention: Although Chinese fans and media hold rational expectations without demanding he “dominate the court immediately,” the attention from 800 million people back home still places enormous pressure on a 20-year-old overseas rookie.

His emotional fluctuations due to poor performances actually reflect how much he cares about the game and his high personal standards.

From what I understand, the Trail Blazers’ management and coaching staff share similarly realistic expectations, never expecting him to be “the next Jokic” right from day one— the hype following the Summer League was not reflective of internal team expectations. During the preseason, he showed promise in games against the Kings and the second matchup with the Warriors; fluctuations like those seen in the first and last games are very common in a rookie season, and both fans and he himself need to learn to accept this variability. Overall,his attitude is commendable, and attitude is a crucial foundation for growth.