Portland Trail Blazers rookie center Yang Hansen impressed Friday in his second preseason game after a disappointing first outing two days prior.
Hansen finished with 16 points in 17 minutes, adding four rebounds, an assist and three blocks. Hansen showed signs of being a rookie, committing five personal fouls, but the seven-footer also made two of three three-point attempts, demonstrating his rare ability to play in the paint while remaining a threat from deep.
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“He had a few moments in camp where he showed flashes,” Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups told reporters. “He had moments where you were like, ‘Wow. He’s not supposed to do that at that size.'”
Hansen’s second preseason outing was a welcome sight for Trail Blazers fans following his preseason debut against Golden State, in which he had just four points in 21 minutes before fouling out.
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This performance, according to the 16th overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft, was a relief.
His head coach told reporters that he felt bad for Hansen after his debut, because the young player “cared so much” and “felt like he let the team down.” Billups reported that Hansen spent a lot of time between games studying Warriors game film and discussing how he could improve on his weaknesses.
“Even when I made the second three, I still feel my hands shaking,” Hansen said through a translator. “When I got (the) layups, when I got that spin — I feel like that’s my shot — so when I got my shot today, I think that’s the moment I let it go.”
Billups was happy to see Hansen’s improvement, not only because of the promise it shows of what he can add to the team, but also because it validates the hard work the young rookie put in during the offseason.
“He played great, man,” Billups said. “Obviously he made some spectacular plays that I’m sure we’ll see again on TV. But he was good. He was really good everywhere. I thought his rim protection was three-level, with a lot of block shots. He was also in better defensive spots in the game. Like I told you all…I felt bad for him in the first game. He wanted to play so well, and we all wanted that.
“And so to see him come out in the next game and play so much better… looking so much more comfortable, it makes you happy. Because he’s working his tail off, man, and he’s trying to please all of us. And he hears a million different voices – most of them he can’t even understand, speaking too fast for him – but I was super proud of him, super proud of him tonight.”
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