Sports Illustrated: Yang Hansen can play inside and outside. He and Klingen will play important roles in the paint together.

October 12th Today, "Sports Illustrated" wrote an article about Yang Hansen. The following is the full content.

When the Portland Trail Blazers selected Yang Hansen with the 16th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, many fans and analysts were confused. The Chinese center was not originally thought to be selected with such a high pick, and was more likely to be selected early in the second round. People were extremely skeptical.

However, he quickly showed his potential in the NBA Summer League. In four games, the 2.16-meter big man averaged 10.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.3 blocks per game. Especially in the Trail Blazers' 93-87 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, he performed well, scoring 15 points (6 of 13 shooting, 3 of 6 three-pointers), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks in 27 minutes.

The NBA preseason is underway, and Hexion was not active in the first game. He only scored 4 points and 4 rebounds in 21 minutes, and the Portland Trail Blazers lost to the Golden State Warriors 123-129. However, things were much different last night against the Sacramento Kings. Hexion showed off the same skills he had in the summer league, finishing with 16 points, four rebounds and three blocks in just 17 minutes. He made 5 of 8 shots from the field and hit 2 of 3 three-pointers.

Hexion was in the right place at the right time. He does a good job of spacing the floor, but doesn't hesitate to cut when opportunities arise around the basket. That kind of versatility is exactly what the top big men in the modern NBA need.

The Portland Trail Blazers are building an exciting young core, and Hexion has quickly become a part of it. Together with Avdija, Seldon Sharp, Scooter Henderson, Donovan Klingen and others, he opened a new era of Portland basketball.

With the return of superstar Damian Lillard and the addition of veterans such as Jrue Holiday, the team has found a healthy balance between young players and experienced mentors, which will help the team progress during the rebuilding process.

Even last season, the Portland Trail Blazers were making some noise in the competitive Western Conference. They ranked 12th in the Western Conference with a record of 36 wins and 46 losses. Despite failing to make the play-offs, they are just three wins away from the playoffs, proving that the rebuild is heading in the right direction.

This season, Yang Hansen will play an important role together with Klingen. The 20-year-old will serve as Portland's backup for 2024 first-round pick, and the two should be able to improve the Blazers' performance at center over time.