Summer League 2025

[Dame Lizard]

Camara going to the bench for Grant... cool

(I know this is just some rando graphic, but shows the problem of keeping Grant)

I had the exact same thought. If Grant starts then Billups needs a reality check.

[zzaj]

Blazers may have just wiggled their way into some extra national games this coming season--having a good Chinese prospect on the roster. Can already see that he'll be a main talking point for announcers all season long. The fact that he has some very Arvydas-like physical movements and passing will only fuel that.

Yang will get burned plenty in drop without elite length and adjusting to the speed of the NBA, but his processing looks super fast and he understands so much from a defensive perspective already...not afraid to hit bodies, which is so important for bigs. He understands how to play defense ground-bound pretty well too, it looks like. He bit on a couple, and he came down out of verticality a couple of times...but overall? Looks like a high IQ, team player at 20 years old that will make an excellent 1-2 punch with Clingan.

Rayan? (shrug) He had an efficient and mostly mistake free night, but if he wants a role next season on the Blazers hell have to be VERY consistent and impactful in limited minutes. His game still looks so passive for an instant impact player off the bench. Watching 'Nique last night, I would personally rather have a player like that coming in off the bench, if the goal is to win basketball games.

Last point before I sign off for the night. I absolutely LOVE that Yang's impact looked bigger than his box score. Both Clingan and Yang are like the exact opposite of Ayton in that way.

Not sure I'm going to stick with the "Broke-ic" moniker for Yang. I don't think Jokic is a very good comp for him at all. To me he looks like a strange Sengun/Later years Arvydas, hybrid.

[Norm2953]

It'll be interesting to see how his game develops in his rookie season, but it won't be a surprise if the team
takes it slow with him, especially if TL is able to play. Gives him a chance to learn more English if the team
takes it slow with him

[The Sebastian Express]

Blazers may have just wiggled their way into some extra national games this coming season--having a good Chinese prospect on the roster. Can already see that he'll be a main talking point for announcers all season long. The fact that he has some very Arvydas-like physical movements and passing will only fuel that.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ripcity/comments/1lxljs9/after_hearing_the_game_will_be_broadcast_on_cctv/

[DaVoiceMaster]

Okay, I was pleasantly surprised and happy with Yang. Rupert did well, and Caleb did okay. Wish Deni was there with the other players.

[The Sebastian Express]

Okay, I was pleasantly surprised and happy with Yang. Rupert did well, and Caleb did okay. Wish Deni was there with the other players.

I believe Deni is there. I think he was sitting at the end next to Scoot and Sharpe. I think Scoot, Shaedon, Toumani, Donovan, Kris, Duop and Deni are all there. Though I may be wrong.

[DusterBuster]

Okay, I was pleasantly surprised and happy with Yang. Rupert did well, and Caleb did okay. Wish Deni was there with the other players.

He was

[Shem]

Watch on YouTube

[mojomarc]

Okay, I was pleasantly surprised and happy with Yang.

This deserves a little more given this was an F+ pick on a lot of immediate draft coverage ratings. So here's my rash take after watching one game

I agree that he was a pleasant surprise. The flashy parts of the game--the passing and blocks--I think he's pretty advanced on. His spin move, that we all saw in the highlights from China, looked like it will translate reasonably well if he can keep the handle tight. But we can't get ahead of ourselves--there are a lot of fundamentals where he's way behind. While he's decent at blocking out he has his hands down a ton around the defensive boards. It's like he is blocking out for others, and at 7'2" you just can't do that. His screens were terrible. I mean really bad. He'll have to work a ton on that. I believe he has all of the physical tools to become a good screener, though. But work in progress. Lastly, I'm not sure if it was instructions or fitness, but he seemed to play an awful lot between the arcs. If fitness, he'll need to really get going on that. With his ball handling and size, playing a 94' game vs. 48' one is the difference between him playing 2-3 minutes per game in garbage time and being a solid rotational prospect.

So love the court vision and his ability to handle the ball going downhill, and his desire to block shots is pretty nice, but the rebounding and screens are not at an NBA level yet.

I think it is 100% clear why Portland decided he was their guy and went to get him. He's a high risk, but high reward pick, and I think there's a clear path to the reward. He's not a pure athlete prospect that can't dribble, pass or shoot. The stuff he's not good at can come with coaching and effort.

[oldfishermen]

Very happy with Yang, and he makes the game fun.

Ryan should get ALL of Kris's minutes.

Going into this game, the player I was most concerned about was C Love. He outplayed all of my expectations.

[Walton1one]

OKC has potentially (3) 1st round picks next year

My 3rd most impressive player in SL tonight…..Raynaud

I mean, there are more than enough minutes to go around in SL for both Yang & Clingan, and Clingan needs work\reps, so I just don’t agree with that. I just think it’s due to a lazy front office.

Almost every other team is playing their 2nd year players, and some are playing their 3rd year players, yet POR has done neither for two years in a row, there is just no rational excuse for it

I’m not sure I follow your logic… are you saying they are simply too lazy to send a guy to SL?

I’m disappointed that Clingan isn’t out there too, but that’s just now how front offices operate. For every player on their roster eligible for SL, they made an active decision whether to send or not. I get disagreeing with the decision, but it’s not like they were sitting around and just didn’t get to doing it lol. Perhaps they want to minimize injury risk, perhaps Clingan has some personal in his life going on and they are honoring a request, perhaps they just want to give Yang more of the focus for their own reasons, right or wrong. I couldn’t tell you what the rationale is, and I’m with you that Clingan should be out there, but calling them lazy is lazy criticism in its own right.

Edit: and in fairness to you I do get that it’s frustrating, and it would be nice if the Blazers gave us an explanation for not sending Clingan. I think that’s a very valid criticism

You are right, lazy is not accurate, what would you call it though? Bad organizational development?

LY Scoot wanted to play SL, Blazers said no. This year Clingan could use the run, and yet he is apparently too good for SL?

The point is almost every other team had\has players in SL who were as/more meaningful to their rotations, several of them starters not bench players, yet this front office continues to act as if they are smarter than everyone else without any proof of that, it is a troubling pattern that has been repeated\infected every aspect of their decision making

[Dame Lizard]

OKC has potentially (3) 1st round picks next year

My 3rd most impressive player in SL tonight…..Raynaud

I mean, there are more than enough minutes to go around in SL for both Yang & Clingan, and Clingan needs work\reps, so I just don’t agree with that. I just think it’s due to a lazy front office.

Almost every other team is playing their 2nd year players, and some are playing their 3rd year players, yet POR has done neither for two years in a row, there is just no rational excuse for it

I’m not sure I follow your logic… are you saying they are simply too lazy to send a guy to SL?

I’m disappointed that Clingan isn’t out there too, but that’s just now how front offices operate. For every player on their roster eligible for SL, they made an active decision whether to send or not. I get disagreeing with the decision, but it’s not like they were sitting around and just didn’t get to doing it lol. Perhaps they want to minimize injury risk, perhaps Clingan has some personal in his life going on and they are honoring a request, perhaps they just want to give Yang more of the focus for their own reasons, right or wrong. I couldn’t tell you what the rationale is, and I’m with you that Clingan should be out there, but calling them lazy is lazy criticism in its own right.

Edit: and in fairness to you I do get that it’s frustrating, and it would be nice if the Blazers gave us an explanation for not sending Clingan. I think that’s a very valid criticism

You are right, lazy is not accurate, what would you call it though? Bad organizational development?

LY Scoot wanted to play SL, Blazers said no. This year Clingan could use the run, and yet he is apparently too good for SL?

The point is almost every other team had\has players in SL who were as/more meaningful to their rotations, several of them starters not bench players, yet this front office continues to act as if they are smarter than everyone else without any proof of that, it is a troubling pattern that has been repeated\infected every aspect of their decision making

Scoot and Shaedon have both been injured at SL previously. I'm ok with avoiding this risk.

[dckingsfan]

On the offensive side, if Yang develops a 3 - OMG.

On the defensive side, let's see how an NBA team develops Yang's body. Give it until next summer and we will get an idea.

[Norm2953]

I'm more wondering if Yang develops a mid range jumper, if he'll end up being another Pau Gasol.

[dckingsfan]

I'm more wondering if Yang develops a mid range jumper, if he'll end up being another Pau Gasol.

This. Given his skills, I think a low post game as well. Again, if he develops a 3 he could be a 3 level scorer. It will take a couple of years but on the offensive side he seems to have the skills...

[DusterBuster]

Very happy with Yang, and he makes the game fun.

This is what I immediately got hooked with too. I think because he was such a surprise pick and there’s a good amount of buzz from China over him, there’s almost the kind of buzz you get with a Top 4 pick type of player. Then on top of it he’s so unique with his skillset, he brings a real change of pace and just plays the game with a genuine amount of joy. That isn’t anything an advanced stat can process, but something that can be infectious in the lockerroom.

I think the Blazers arguably have a really interesting bench roster building here when healthy. They can go for a traditional PG led defensive minded starting unit of Jrue/Camara/Deni/Grant/Clingan to a run and gun, high post big man run pseudo-Denver style offense with the bench of Scoot/Rupert/Sharpe/Thybulle/Yang.

[zzaj]

One thing to consider is that the Blazer offense runs zero post up sets, and last night they didn’t run a single post set for Yang.

Nearly every time he touched the ball it was in that 5-out delayed action with the big at the top of the key. It was pretty clearly intentional. One of my big complaints about the Blazer offense last year was there was very little effective off-ball screening…especially North/South. Hopefully, what we saw last night is an indicator for some more interesting offense next season.

I doubt we’re going to see Yang post ups anytime soon.

[DaVoiceMaster]

Okay, I was pleasantly surprised and happy with Yang. Rupert did well, and Caleb did okay. Wish Deni was there with the other players.

I believe Deni is there. I think he was sitting at the end next to Scoot and Sharpe. I think Scoot, Shaedon, Toumani, Donovan, Kris, Duop and Deni are all there. Though I may be wrong.

Well that is pretty awesome then!!! Love seeing the support and enthusiasm and the crowd going nuts any time Yang did anything was pretty cool, as well. .

[Walton1one]

Yikes, exact issue that has been brought up about him repeatedly, one of the concerns I had mentioned about him LY, hopefully he can improve on that aspect

Read on Twitter

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[dckingsfan]

One thing to consider is that the Blazer offense runs zero post up sets, and last night they didn’t run a single post set for Yang.

Nearly every time he touched the ball it was in that 5-out delayed action with the big at the top of the key. It was pretty clearly intentional. One of my big complaints about the Blazer offense last year was there was very little effective off-ball screening…especially North/South. Hopefully, what we saw last night is an indicator for some more interesting offense next season.

I doubt we’re going to see Yang post ups anytime soon.

Agreed. It will take Yang at least 2 years to move from the high post to the low post. Guessing the same is true with Clingan? The development of both is going to be soooo key for the Blazers over the next two years. But I can see the "why" of going with Yang. Of course, there might have been someone at 11 that turns out to be really good - so there is that.