The first round of the NBA draft took place tonight, with several trades and a number of high-profile prospects finding their new basketball home. One of the biggest stories of the night was the selection at No. 16, which went to the Portland Trail Blazers after a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies for the draft rights to No. 11 overall pick Cedric Coward.
Instead of going with the expected selections, the Trail Blazers shocked everyone by picking Yang Hasen. The 20-year-old prospect from Zibo was projected to be a mid-second-round pick, but he was drafted near the lottery tonight in a move that executives are failing to understand.
"That is the wildest pick I've ever seen," said one NBA executive on the deal. "Those jobs up there are on the line."
We've seen this type of heat before with risky and unexpected draft decisions. There was a similar reaction to Anthony Bennet when the Cavaliers selected him first overall in the 2013 draft.
In this case, however, the Blazers did not have the No. 1 pick, and the jury is still out on Hansen's potential as an NBA big man. The Chinese prospect is largely unknown in NBA circles, but at 7'2", he has favorable length and is drawing comparisons to Nikola Jokic.
"A Nuggets source just texted me: 'Chinese Jokic,' about the Blazers' surprise selection," wrote Jake Fischer.
At 19 years old, it's impossible to say how high Yang's potential goes, but he had a promising international career with averages of 15.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game on 56.8% shooting in two seasons for the Qingdao Eagles.
Yang, who has a whopping 7'2" wingspan, is a talented and crafty scorer with solid court vision and great fundamentals. He's an elite passer and playmaker for his position, with a talent for grabbing rebounds and cleaning the glass.
The only thing holding Hansen back in the draft was mobility. He's a slower, old-school big man who is likely to get exploited on defense. Nonetheless, the Trail Blazers believe he has the potential to transform their team into a regular competitor in the West.
After giving up Anfernee Simons and two second-round picks this summer, Portland was able to get back Jrue Holiday, and he should make a fine addition in the backcourt as a tutor and mentor to the young core. At the very least, his presence will bolster their defense in the backcourt and provide some resistance against the best guards in the league.
Alongside Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, and Jeremi Grant, Hansen will have a chance to thrive on a team rich with young talent. Of course, with a frontcourt that includes Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams III, and Deandre Ayton, he'll also have to earn his way and prove that he deserves minutes over his other peers at the same position.
In a wild and very active night of the draft, nobody saw the Blazers making as much noise as they did. But when the experts saw who they drafted with at 16, it was enough to send shockwaves across the entire association. They clearly have a lot of faith in this kid to succeed, and it'll be interesting to see how he fits into their future given the status of his position.
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