Yang Hansen of the Portland Trail Blazers and Ivica Zubac of the LA Clippers looks on during the game on October 26, 2025 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. Photo: VCG

Chinese rookie center Yang Hansen recorded his first away points in the NBA on Sunday night with the Portland Trail Blazers' match against the Los Angeles Clippers, scoring two points from free throws and collecting one rebound.

Trail Blazers beat journalist Joe Moore noted in a post-game report that "rookie big man Yang Hansen saw the court for just four minutes," explaining that "the speed advantage the Blazers held with the small-ball lineup vastly outweighed the slight edge their opponents got on the glass when Portland played small."

"As we've analyzed before, given the Trail Blazers' preference for small-ball rotations, Yang's minutes as a backup center are bound to be limited. However, his current performances are within expectations," Chinese basketball commentator Su Qun told the Global Times on Monday.

After making his NBA regular-season debut on Wednesday, Yang admitted at a post-game press conference that he needed to improve his positioning on court and he made noticeable adjustments in Sunday's game. Still, his prospects of earning consistent trust from the coaching team remain a hot topic among fans.

Some netizens argued that the excessive hype surrounding Yang "sets him up for disappointment," with a few predicting that his NBA career "may not last long." Many others urged for patience, saying Yang's quick adjustments and limited playing time are normal for a rookie adapting to the league's pace. "He's learning quickly, this takes time," one fan commented.

US commentators highlighted that Yang's rebound came from active box-outs on defense. They added that while his physical presence in the paint is already evident, his mobility, his lateral movement and recovery speed after help defense, is still catching up to the NBA's rhythm.

"I think it's biased to either overpraise or underestimate him," Su said. "What matters most now is that Yang takes every opportunity during this window to adapt to the regular-season intensity and study his opponents' tendencies."

Su said that this "window" refers to the two-to-four-week stretch at the start of the season, when starting guard Scoot Henderson is recovering from injury and Robert Williams III is yet to return. 

"Right now, Yang ranks roughly tenth in the team's rotation. As long as head coach prioritizes winning, he won't heavily rely on big-man lineups. Once those injured players return, Yang may be assigned to the G League. That's why every chance he gets now is crucial," Su said.

Looking ahead to the back-to-back matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers, Su described it as another valuable opportunity. Su noted that with the Lakers short-handed, if Yang makes an impact early in the game, he could earn more minutes in the second half, or even a longer-term role in the rotation.

"In the end, how much playing time Yang earns depends on himself," Su added.

The Trail Blazers will face the Lakers on October 27 local time.