Yang Hanshen has too much hype? Draft expert points out shortcomings in Summer League; the competition within the team is not with Clingen.

On July 25, Beijing time, draft expert Sam Vecenie discussed Yang Hanshen in his latest podcast, highlighting some of his issues. Blazers reporter Dave Deckard mentioned during a fan interaction that Yang's competition within the team is not with Clingen, but rather with Robert Williams.

Regarding Yang Hanshen, Vecenie said, "There is too much hype. Many people are excited for him, which I understand, and I see why they have high expectations for his passing after watching him in the Summer League. However, what concerns me is that many of his passes seem predetermined—just catching the ball at the top of the arc and making the pass. Of course, not all big men can do that, and it is indeed impressive."

"But often, he does not read and react to the game situation like he would in a real NBA game; those are 'tactics we designed for him to be involved in.' Honestly, as a scorer, I haven't seen much that excites me about his performance in actual NBA games. I think he scores reasonably well around the basket, but his overall shooting percentage is only 45%. He did hit three three-pointers against the Pelicans, which was great, but he is not yet a shooter, so I have some concerns."

“I really don’t like his defensive performance. I feel he lacks physicality around the basket. To be honest, he struggles to handle any form of physical contact. Moreover, his fouling is a bit too aggressive, and he also has a lot of offensive turnovers.”

As a highly scrutinized rookie, Yang Hanshen will certainly hear various opinions, both praise and criticism. For him, the significance of the Summer League lies in identifying and addressing issues.

Additionally, reporter Dave Deckard also discussed Yang Hanshen during a fan interaction—

“I think Clingen and Yang Hanshen won’t interfere with each other early on, as they are both still in the development phase. The NBA will present unknown challenges for Yang Hanshen; Clingen has adapted to some extent, but his game (especially on the offensive end) still has limitations. Essentially, both will create some space for each other to play, or rather, this space is necessary. If the 'role' filling these spaces ends up being another young center, that’s fine too.”

“If there’s anything to be concerned about, it’s that both centers currently have to consider the healthy Robert Williams. If Williams can stay in shape, he is likely to replace both as a starter. His style of play is different from the two 7-foot 'big guys,' but I believe head coach Chauncey Billups won’t let a healthy Williams sit on the bench. The Blazers might trade this veteran, but as long as he’s in the lineup, he is the main competitor for Clingen and Yang Hanshen at the center position, rather than the two competing against each other.”

Deckard also addressed the question of whether Clingen and Yang Hanshen could play together on the court.

“The idea is indeed appealing, but I’m not sure if it’s feasible in practice. On the surface, the offensive style differences between Yang Hanshen and Clingen are enough to create a complementary effect. In the Summer League, the Blazers had Yang Hanshen operating at the high post. Given his vision and passing ability seem to cover long and mid-range areas, the team may initially keep him in that position; meanwhile, Clingen is destined to operate in the low post, and their areas on the court are completely different, which may not lead to direct conflicts. So far, this seems reasonable.”

“But the issue is that Clingen needs to operate near the basket, which disrupts the tactical space Yang Hanshen relies on for passing. Yang likes to feed cutting teammates, but Clingen’s defender will likely be right in the cutting lane, clogging up the middle. Additionally, Yang Hanshen is currently not a three-point threat, which will cause another defender to collapse into the low post. Because the Blazers’ outside shooting lacks threat, the pressure on the other three players will increase significantly. If paired with another non-shooter, the defense can almost freely collapse into the middle. At that point, Clingen may struggle to receive the ball or finish due to the crowded space, cutters will have no room, and Yang Hanshen won’t find passing targets. At that stage, the defense only needs to closely guard the remaining shooters, and the Blazers’ offense will be completely paralyzed.”

“Implementing a twin-tower system on defense might be more feasible, depending on Yang Hanshen's mobility and efficiency. We know Clingen performs best in middle defense, while Yang Hanshen needs to expand his defensive range and take on help defense duties when Clingen guards the low post. However, this requires Yang Hanshen to possess speed and endurance that he may not yet have.”

“But who can predict future developments? If the Blazers can create a highly destructive 'seven-foot behemoth' strategy, it would definitely be unique. Perhaps after the 'fast-paced + spacing' era, the next era will be the 'giant era.' If that's the case, the Blazers have already seized the opportunity.”