Yang Hansen continues to dominate conversations throughout this year’s Summer League.
The Portland Trail Blazers center has shown remarkable consistency across multiple games, establishing himself as one of the tournament’s most intriguing prospects.
Yang Hansen might not post flashy 20-point performances or double-doubles, but his versatility demonstrates the modern center skillset.
His recent performance against the Houston Rockets showcased this balance with eight points, eight rebounds, five assists, and three blocks.
Hansen’s ability to impact games beyond scoring has caught attention from NBA insiders. His three-point shooting in the previous round against the New Orleans Pelicans, where he connected on 50% of his attempts, further solidifies his stretch big potential.
Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas has joined the chorus of Hansen supporters, comparing him to elite centers like Nikola Jokic and Alperen Sengun.
Arenas believes the Chinese center has complete ability as a modern big and that‘s why he deserves to be selected as a first-rounder.
“These are the types of guys that, when they get into the game, you can see all their attributes.
“In the past, draft working out, you miss this. I don’t know how they miss Jokic, but I know when you talk about a guy like this, you don’t want him to go in the second round and someone gets him and then, boom, he turns into a superstar,” Arenas explained.
Arenas placed Hansen in the same category as the league’s most skilled big men, emphasizing his basketball IQ and versatility.
“You know what he does, you can tell that he’s a five on five player. It looks like he has one-on-one skills. Playmaking, he can shoot. So, the lane you put him in is the Jokic, Sengun, type of lane,” Arenas noted.
The former player highlighted Hansen’s age and physical attributes as additional advantages. “And with those guys, you always want to take him in the first round, right? Because they can do a little bit of everything.“
“You can tell he has a very high IQ and that is top 15, top 20. He’s 20 years old, 7 feet. You can put him at any position and he will be effective on the court.”
Arenas sees Hansen’s flexibility as a key asset, believing he can play alongside other big men or serve as a supporting star. He compared Hansen’s potential to legendary players Vlade Divac and Chris Webber.
“Even though he’s not the main go-to guy, you got two centers now, you can put him at the four. You throw the ball to him and let him just sit there and look over the defense, make these back door cuts,” Arenas said.
“And treat him like a Vlade Divac, or you can say ‘Oh, you can be Chris Webber’. So, his ceiling is so high and whatever he makes is, he is underpaid for sure.”
Hansen’s development journey remains lengthy, requiring improvements in several areas before reaching NBA readiness.
However, with Damian Lillard’s return providing veteran mentorship, Hansen’s prospects with the Blazers appear promising.
