Yang Hansen's strongest performance in the Summer League, showing ease and delivering a powerful dunk

Yang Hansen recorded 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists, shooting 7-of-8, with a plus-minus of +20, the highest of the game. This was his strongest Summer League performance ever. He played only about 20 minutes to produce these stats, and except for four turnovers—a bit too many—the entire game was nearly perfect.

Like the previous Summer League game, Yang started slowly today, partly because he was sick. He missed the Trail Blazers' second Summer League game due to illness. I find it hard to understand why some people online criticized him for being sick. Yang has been traveling a lot recently, reportedly flying economy class to the US, so it's only natural for him to feel unwell.

Early in the game, he grabbed an offensive rebound and scored a tough basket inside, but then the Timberwolves' center hit two consecutive three-pointers, making Yang look a bit passive on the court. In fact, that center, Zikarski, had shot 1-for-7 from three in the previous two games, but today he made his first two.

In the first quarter, Yang played only a short stint before being subbed out. His minutes in the first half were also limited, and he wasn't in peak physical condition, with three turnovers standing out. On one possession, Yang took a slow three-step drive, paused on the third step to fake out his defender, and then finished with a low-hand layup—a move reminiscent of Kyle Anderson.

In the previous game, Yang also started slowly but found his rhythm after hitting consecutive threes in the second half. Today, he erupted in the second half, going 4-for-4 in the third quarter for 10 points, completely dominating all of the Timberwolves' interior defenders.

Perhaps because Yang shot 2-for-3 from deep in the last game, the Timberwolves played tight defense on him today. However, Yang actually felt more comfortable in that defensive environment: he could power through defenders in the paint for scores and also create space at the top of the arc. He delivered two excellent passes from the top of the arc on backdoor cuts, leading to easy dunks for his teammates.

In the fourth quarter, Yang Hansen had a stunning poster dunk, using his body to completely shove aside the defender and finishing with a one-handed, fiery slam. This was arguably the toughest play Yang has made since entering the NBA, and even the commentators were shocked.

After that dunk, Yang's energy was completely drained. In the fourth quarter, he was running at full speed, trying to keep up with every transition play. For a big center like him to run for such a long time was already impressive. Then Yang voluntarily asked to be substituted, concluding his game for the day.

This was Yang Hansen's first double-double in Summer League, with career highs in points, rebounds, and plus-minus. After watching two games, the biggest improvements in Yang's game are his stamina and speed. When a center steps up to defend him, he can use his speed to drive to the basket, and his footwork has improved significantly. His stamina allows him to fully adapt to this level of competition, and he has even shown considerable dominance in the paint.

Of course, controlling turnovers and fouls remains an issue. As a rookie of Yang's caliber, he should have nearly unlimited scoring opportunities in the Summer League, especially since the Trail Blazers have no other first-round picks. However, Yang's playing style is still very team-oriented, and many of his turnovers come from deliberately trying to find his teammates. Being team-oriented is certainly not a bad thing; the coaches will also notice his unselfishness and progress.

Yang Hansen plays in completely different styles in the Summer League compared to the national team. It's clear that he prefers the Summer League style: not posting up and demanding the ball in the low post, but instead running hand-off plays at the top of the arc with guards, executing pick-and-rolls and rolling to the rim, or popping out to pull defenders away and create more driving lanes. In short, he avoids the outdated tactic of forcing the ball inside—that approach is really behind the times.

The Trail Blazers now have five centers. Besides last season's Clingan, Rob Williams, and Yang Hansen, they recently signed former Thunder center Carlson and stretch big man Micah Potter, who played for the Pacers. Both newly signed big men have some shooting ability, which puts more pressure on Yang Hansen.

Next season, Yang Hansen will essentially be competing for the third center spot. The most realistic and primary goal is to earn a chance to enter the rotation. The Trail Blazers' new head coach, Nori, has worked with the Nuggets and Timberwolves and is a coach who knows how to utilize centers. This is not a bad thing for Yang. Today's game was watched by Coach Nori from the sidelines for the entire duration.

Yang Hansen is definitely improving. He cannot meet everyone's expectations, but at least we will see him getting better and better.