Yang Hansen’s NBA Debut Provides Mixed Bag in Loss

Yang Hansen had a rough first start for the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday during a 119-96 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Counting stats-wise, Yang's debut as the starting 5 was solid, if flawed: four points, five rebounds, two assists, and two turnovers.

Besides a dunk sequence where Yang duped Zach Edey with a spin move and finished with a Nikola Jokic-esque flair, the Chinese rookie looked completely overmatched physically in his 19 minutes on the floor. He certainly didn't look like a superior option to Donovan Clingan right now, even if it's evident his ceiling is probably higher.

Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter revealed plenty in his assessment of Yang's play at the FedEx Forum.

"His beginning wasn't great, but he finished the game better. It was a great lesson for him to have this experience, to go there and play against a big guy similar to his size and strength," Splitter said postgame.

"Great lesson for him to get better and work on his game."

When you're learning lessons from the experience, and are deemed not great at any point, that may be the closest thing to harsh criticism your interim head coach is willing to say. Splitter wasn't about to rip the team's franchise cornerstone. Not as he aims to earn a full-time head coach.

Yang wasn't good, but he doesn't need to be. This team is better off losing games during the 2025-26 season.

Blazers Only Keep Pick if it's 1-14 and Can Take Time With Young Players

Yang has been in and out of the G League this season. That's not the mark of a player who's expected to produce right away.

Portland doesn't own its 2026 NBA draft pick if it's not in the lottery (1-14). There is no rush for this franchise's young players. Between Yang, Clingan, Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, Kris Murray, and Toumani Camara, this team is still a few years away from fully developing.

If the Trail Blazers can find a taker for Jrue Holiday, it'd make sense to move him as soon as possible. His fit in Portland this year never made sense, and given their previous jettisoning of his deal in 2023 to the Boston Celtics before the season, days after acquiring him, it's unlikely the player-team relationship is on solid footing. And as great as Deni Avdija has been in a Blazers uniform, he may not make sense for the team's long-term plan either.

Growing pains are the plan in 2025-26. So by that mantra, Yang's debut was perfect.