While we believe rookie Yang Hansen deserves minutes in the Portland Trail Blazers' crowded frontcourt, it doesn't seem like interim head coach Tiago Splitter agrees. There was so much justified hype surrounding Hansen, who showed a ton of promise throughout the offseason. However, early on, it hasn't been able to translate to the regular season.
Hansen is averaging just 1.8 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 0.4 blocks per game while shooting 22.2% from the field. This isn't entirely on him, as the Blazers haven't put him in an optimal position to succeed.
The Blazers aren't putting Yang Hansen in a position to succeed
After the shocking draft selection, Portland emphasized that they don't view Hansen as a project.