US reporter: Yang Hansen has improved significantly from last year's Summer League; some All-Stars didn't break out until later in their careers

On July 18, Beijing time, US reporter Wade Evanson wrote about Trail Blazers center Yang Hansen, noting that compared to last year's Summer League, Yang has made considerable progress this year, urging fans to be patient with him. Below is Evanson's full article—

Just mention the name Yang Hansen to Trail Blazers fans, and you'll hear a wide range of opinions. Although this player's name always sparks heated debate, how high he can ultimately rise remains an open question.

Yang Hansen was selected 16th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2025 NBA Draft and was soon traded to the Trail Blazers. Last season, some labeled him a bust, while others saw him merely as a team experiment. But in my view, for a 20-year-old who traveled far from home to adapt to a completely unfamiliar league, this experience has been valuable.

I understand the skepticism. Against top-tier opponents, he often struggles, and in a league that emphasizes physicality, his movement can be a step slow. With so many explosively athletic stars today, it's easy to dismiss a player based solely on average athleticism, but few are willing to recognize the genuine strengths of this Chinese big man.

He stands 7'1", has above-average footwork, exceptional passing ability, and his basketball IQ is his core advantage. Although his current stats are underwhelming, the potential he holds is deliberately overlooked by many critics.

I'm not saying he will definitely succeed—in fact, he still has a long way to go before reaching his potential. But to completely dismiss him after just one year is, at best, hasty, and at worst, an attempt by some to simply prove their own predictions right rather than objectively assess the facts.

From draft night onward, people have been criticizing the Trail Blazers' selection of Yang Hansen, and such critics love to go against the grain. These individuals rarely see the positives in a player; they only see flaws. Some call them contrarians, while they see themselves as realists.

What I'm saying is that the NBA has never lacked late bloomers, so why give up at the first sign of struggle? Why not wait and see instead of throwing this "lemon" by the wayside?

So far in this year's Las Vegas Summer League, Yang Hansen has played three games, averaging 24.5 minutes, 14.3 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game, with a field goal percentage of 62.1% and a three-point percentage of 42.9%.

I know the Summer League's value is limited, and most of his opponents this fall won't even make an NBA roster. But his performance this summer has been a noticeable improvement over last year's Summer League. This alone should make everyone recognize an objective fact: he is still in a period of continuous growth and skill refinement.

Yao Ming, a fellow Chinese national team player with Yang Hansen, made a huge leap from his rookie season to his second and third years, and by his fourth year, his performance was nearly double that of his rookie campaign. Of course, I'm not directly comparing the two—Yao Ming was a much higher draft pick and far more accomplished. But using this All-Star center as an example, I want to illustrate that the patience most fans lack today is precisely what players need to realize their potential.

Many iconic stars burst onto the scene as rookies, but that's not a rule. Steve Nash, Ben Wallace, Manu Ginobili, and former Trail Blazer Jermaine O'Neal—these All-Stars all broke out later in their careers.

Also Jimmy Butler, Portland native Payton Pritchard (from West Linn High School), Kyle Lowry, and Chauncey Billups—all fell short of expectations early on but later turned things around. Even three-time MVP and eight-time All-Star Nikola Jokic, selected in the second round in 2014, averaged just 10 points and 7 rebounds as a rookie and took two or three seasons to fully develop.

Yang Hansen just turned 21, to be precise, just a few weeks ago. He is still adapting to a completely unfamiliar basketball system in a country that is new to him.

I can't predict his current level, but that doesn't mean he will definitely become a bust. So for this talented young big man, let's do something rarely done today: watch patiently and wait to see what happens.