Hansen Yang

[zzaj]

Yang, has all the hallmarks of a middling back up big man. I fail to see how you can start or play a guy like that for 30 minutes with a complete lack of lateral speed and defensive instincts. That is if he can even stay on the floor that long without fouling out. The guy averaged 5.3 fouls/game in the preseason (and 3.5 rebounds...ouch).

Basically, POR wasted their draft pick on a career back up big who plays the same position as their #7 pick LY, is also a drop big and is SIGNIFICANTLY worse defensively. Oh yeah, and a hope\prayer that ORL falls off a cliff by 2028 and that pick is worth something even marginally valuable (and not a pick that is likely 25+). A true master class by Cronin....

Would I have rather the Blazers just stuck to their pick and drafted who I liked at that spot? Cedric Coward or Nique Clifford? Yep. Shoot, Blazers could have still made the trade and drafted Nique at 16. Nique in particular averaged 14.5/3.5/4.5 in preseason, with a couple of 40% 3pt games and not a single missed FT in...seems like decent value as a backup G at 11 and especially 16.

But this is all missing the point.

Even if Yang puts up pedestrian, backup big numbers, the Blazers officially tied themselves to a cash cow--especially since the NBA opened up the Chinese market once again. If Yang only averages 5/5/1 for his career, the Blazers will still make HUGE money off the millions in China watching the team. If the Blazers don't have a preseason game in China next year I will be absolutely amazed.

[SweaterBae]

Yang, has all the hallmarks of a middling back up big man. I fail to see how you can start or play a guy like that for 30 minutes with a complete lack of lateral speed and defensive instincts. That is if he can even stay on the floor that long without fouling out. The guy averaged 5.3 fouls/game in the preseason (and 3.5 rebounds...ouch).

Basically, POR wasted their draft pick on a career back up big who plays the same position as their #7 pick LY, is also a drop big and is SIGNIFICANTLY worse defensively. Oh yeah, and a hope\prayer that ORL falls off a cliff by 2028 and that pick is worth something even marginally valuable (and not a pick that is likely 25+). A true master class by Cronin....

Would I have rather the Blazers just stuck to their pick and drafted who I liked at that spot? Cedric Coward or Nique Clifford? Yep. Shoot, Blazers could have still made the trade and drafted Nique at 16. Nique in particular averaged 14.5/3.5/4.5 in preseason, with a couple of 40% 3pt games and not a single missed FT in...seems like decent value as a backup G at 11 and especially 16.

But this is all missing the point.

Even if Yang puts up pedestrian, backup big numbers, the Blazers officially tied themselves to a cash cow--especially since the NBA opened up the Chinese market once again. If Yang only averages 5/5/1 for his career, the Blazers will still make HUGE money off the millions in China watching the team. If the Blazers don't have a preseason game in China next year I will be absolutely amazed.

This is an embarrassingly ignorant, made up narrative. Media payouts aren't distributed based on viewership and you know this as it's been explained to you before. You think the Celtics and Knicks and Lakers get more money based on viewership? How many hotdogs and coors lites will the fans in Chengdong be buying? Yang does nothing for Portland's bottom line unless he impacts winning at a high level.

[zzaj]

Yang, has all the hallmarks of a middling back up big man. I fail to see how you can start or play a guy like that for 30 minutes with a complete lack of lateral speed and defensive instincts. That is if he can even stay on the floor that long without fouling out. The guy averaged 5.3 fouls/game in the preseason (and 3.5 rebounds...ouch).

Basically, POR wasted their draft pick on a career back up big who plays the same position as their #7 pick LY, is also a drop big and is SIGNIFICANTLY worse defensively. Oh yeah, and a hope\prayer that ORL falls off a cliff by 2028 and that pick is worth something even marginally valuable (and not a pick that is likely 25+). A true master class by Cronin....

Would I have rather the Blazers just stuck to their pick and drafted who I liked at that spot? Cedric Coward or Nique Clifford? Yep. Shoot, Blazers could have still made the trade and drafted Nique at 16. Nique in particular averaged 14.5/3.5/4.5 in preseason, with a couple of 40% 3pt games and not a single missed FT in...seems like decent value as a backup G at 11 and especially 16.

But this is all missing the point.

Even if Yang puts up pedestrian, backup big numbers, the Blazers officially tied themselves to a cash cow--especially since the NBA opened up the Chinese market once again. If Yang only averages 5/5/1 for his career, the Blazers will still make HUGE money off the millions in China watching the team. If the Blazers don't have a preseason game in China next year I will be absolutely amazed.

This is an embarrassingly ignorant, made up narrative. Media payouts aren't distributed based on viewership and you know this as it's been explained to you before. You think the Celtics and Knicks and Lakers get more money based on viewership? How many hotdogs and coors lites will the fans in Chengdong be buying? Yang does nothing for Portland's bottom line unless he impacts winning at a high level.

Keep up the condescension on things you know nothing about mate. I have no idea what you’re talking about—you must be confusing me with someone else.

Team revenue streams 100% are impacted by viewership. And yes Lakers and Celtics are great examples of that. Blazer merch sales are up 1k% (yes, 1,000%) since they drafted Yang. If you think a team’s revenue are meaningfully impacted by arena hot dog and beer sales, then I don’t even really know what to say…other than welcome to my ‘ignore’ list.

There are plenty of sensible posters on this forum that I’ve disagreed with for coming on 20 years. I’ll keep my time and energy reserved for those that have something meaningful to contribute.

[mojomarc]

Yang, has all the hallmarks of a middling back up big man. I fail to see how you can start or play a guy like that for 30 minutes with a complete lack of lateral speed and defensive instincts. That is if he can even stay on the floor that long without fouling out. The guy averaged 5.3 fouls/game in the preseason (and 3.5 rebounds...ouch).

Basically, POR wasted their draft pick on a career back up big who plays the same position as their #7 pick LY, is also a drop big and is SIGNIFICANTLY worse defensively. Oh yeah, and a hope\prayer that ORL falls off a cliff by 2028 and that pick is worth something even marginally valuable (and not a pick that is likely 25+). A true master class by Cronin....

Would I have rather the Blazers just stuck to their pick and drafted who I liked at that spot? Cedric Coward or Nique Clifford? Yep. Shoot, Blazers could have still made the trade and drafted Nique at 16. Nique in particular averaged 14.5/3.5/4.5 in preseason, with a couple of 40% 3pt games and not a single missed FT in...seems like decent value as a backup G at 11 and especially 16.

But this is all missing the point.

Even if Yang puts up pedestrian, backup big numbers, the Blazers officially tied themselves to a cash cow--especially since the NBA opened up the Chinese market once again. If Yang only averages 5/5/1 for his career, the Blazers will still make HUGE money off the millions in China watching the team. If the Blazers don't have a preseason game in China next year I will be absolutely amazed.

This is an embarrassingly ignorant, made up narrative. Media payouts aren't distributed based on viewership and you know this as it's been explained to you before. You think the Celtics and Knicks and Lakers get more money based on viewership? How many hotdogs and coors lites will the fans in Chengdong be buying? Yang does nothing for Portland's bottom line unless he impacts winning at a high level.

Not an active moderator, but as a retired one: please keep the tone civil, mmmm'kay?

Second, someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe teams get to keep all of their individual streaming package revenue. Since the Blazers will have a lot of games over the next several years that are not covered in national games, this presents a pretty amazing opportunity to go sell streaming services (the Jazz do this with Jazz+) to the Chinese market directly. Even if they sell it at $5/month, those 3m Chinese that tuned into to see Yang are worth some big revenue streams, not to mention potential single game packages. And I think we know that Blazervision is much more than $5/month. Now will they offer a less expensive package for China? Not sure. But Yang absolutely is going to bump Blazers-only revenue. And if he turns out to be a passable 25mpg player, there's big money there.

At least, that's how I understand how the media rights flow through to teams for non-national games, but someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

[m0ng0]

Why can't we just talk about the player? Maybe let him actually play meaningful games before we dig his grave? Let's see how they use him? Maybe he continues to improve and become a below average, average, good or great... we don't know anything yet. Let the kid play.

[zzaj]

Would I have rather the Blazers just stuck to their pick and drafted who I liked at that spot? Cedric Coward or Nique Clifford? Yep. Shoot, Blazers could have still made the trade and drafted Nique at 16. Nique in particular averaged 14.5/3.5/4.5 in preseason, with a couple of 40% 3pt games and not a single missed FT in...seems like decent value as a backup G at 11 and especially 16.

But this is all missing the point.

Even if Yang puts up pedestrian, backup big numbers, the Blazers officially tied themselves to a cash cow--especially since the NBA opened up the Chinese market once again. If Yang only averages 5/5/1 for his career, the Blazers will still make HUGE money off the millions in China watching the team. If the Blazers don't have a preseason game in China next year I will be absolutely amazed.

This is an embarrassingly ignorant, made up narrative. Media payouts aren't distributed based on viewership and you know this as it's been explained to you before. You think the Celtics and Knicks and Lakers get more money based on viewership? How many hotdogs and coors lites will the fans in Chengdong be buying? Yang does nothing for Portland's bottom line unless he impacts winning at a high level.

Not an active moderator, but as a retired one: please keep the tone civil, mmmm'kay?

Second, someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe teams get to keep all of their individual streaming package revenue. Since the Blazers will have a lot of games over the next several years that are not covered in national games, this presents a pretty amazing opportunity to go sell streaming services (the Jazz do this with Jazz+) to the Chinese market directly. Even if they sell it at $5/month, those 3m Chinese that tuned into to see Yang are worth some big revenue streams, not to mention potential single game packages. And I think we know that Blazervision is much more than $5/month. Now will they offer a less expensive package for China? Not sure. But Yang absolutely is going to bump Blazers-only revenue. And if he turns out to be a passable 25mpg player, there's big money there.

At least, that's how I understand how the media rights flow through to teams for non-national games, but someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

All I know is that all teams split revenue from nationally televised broadcasts...and I do believe that you are correct that local broadcast revenue is controlled entirely by the team.

However, in terms of tying in to Chinese cable outlets, I have to think that the NBA controls those broadcast rights and revenue--likely shared amongst the teams.

After that post from Sweaterbaby or whatever their name is, I looked up merchandise sales distribution--and they are correct--merchandise sales by individual teams get pooled by the NBA and distributed evenly across all teams. From the cursory glance I took...international corporate sponsorships are a bit trickier, with deals like jersey patch revenue going directly to the team, and other types of sponsorships getting pooled.

All interesting!

[mojomarc]

This is an embarrassingly ignorant, made up narrative. Media payouts aren't distributed based on viewership and you know this as it's been explained to you before. You think the Celtics and Knicks and Lakers get more money based on viewership? How many hotdogs and coors lites will the fans in Chengdong be buying? Yang does nothing for Portland's bottom line unless he impacts winning at a high level.

Not an active moderator, but as a retired one: please keep the tone civil, mmmm'kay?

Second, someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe teams get to keep all of their individual streaming package revenue. Since the Blazers will have a lot of games over the next several years that are not covered in national games, this presents a pretty amazing opportunity to go sell streaming services (the Jazz do this with Jazz+) to the Chinese market directly. Even if they sell it at $5/month, those 3m Chinese that tuned into to see Yang are worth some big revenue streams, not to mention potential single game packages. And I think we know that Blazervision is much more than $5/month. Now will they offer a less expensive package for China? Not sure. But Yang absolutely is going to bump Blazers-only revenue. And if he turns out to be a passable 25mpg player, there's big money there.

At least, that's how I understand how the media rights flow through to teams for non-national games, but someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

All I know is that all teams split revenue from nationally televised broadcasts...and I do believe that you are correct that local broadcast revenue is controlled entirely by the team.

However, in terms of tying in to Chinese cable outlets, I have to think that the NBA controls those broadcast rights and revenue--likely shared amongst the teams.

After that post from Sweaterbaby or whatever their name is, I looked up merchandise sales distribution--and they are correct--merchandise sales by individual teams get pooled by the NBA and distributed evenly across all teams. From the cursory glance I took...international corporate sponsorships are a bit trickier, with deals like jersey patch revenue going directly to the team, and other types of sponsorships getting pooled.

All interesting!

So I just signed up for my League Pass, and was not eligible for Blazervision since I'm outside of the PNW. League Pass is also scoped to the US. But I've also spent time in China, and the one thing any tech-savvy person in China has is a VPN, and the second thing is how to get a PayPal or similar account that can purchase things out of China. So it's pretty likely, if my assumptions are correct, that a big chunk of those would-be "local only streaming" viewers will be able to get subscriptions if they want it. And that, if my supposition is accurate, would go straight to the Blazers' ownership.

[mojomarc]

Why can't we just talk about the player? Maybe let him actually play meaningful games before we dig his grave? Let's see how they use him? Maybe he continues to improve and become a below average, average, good or great... we don't know anything yet. Let the kid play.

I honestly think the kid will be fine. He may not be the next Jokic, but outside shooting, passing, and shot blocking has a value in the NBA.

[zzaj]

Not an active moderator, but as a retired one: please keep the tone civil, mmmm'kay?

Second, someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe teams get to keep all of their individual streaming package revenue. Since the Blazers will have a lot of games over the next several years that are not covered in national games, this presents a pretty amazing opportunity to go sell streaming services (the Jazz do this with Jazz+) to the Chinese market directly. Even if they sell it at $5/month, those 3m Chinese that tuned into to see Yang are worth some big revenue streams, not to mention potential single game packages. And I think we know that Blazervision is much more than $5/month. Now will they offer a less expensive package for China? Not sure. But Yang absolutely is going to bump Blazers-only revenue. And if he turns out to be a passable 25mpg player, there's big money there.

At least, that's how I understand how the media rights flow through to teams for non-national games, but someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

All I know is that all teams split revenue from nationally televised broadcasts...and I do believe that you are correct that local broadcast revenue is controlled entirely by the team.

However, in terms of tying in to Chinese cable outlets, I have to think that the NBA controls those broadcast rights and revenue--likely shared amongst the teams.

After that post from Sweaterbaby or whatever their name is, I looked up merchandise sales distribution--and they are correct--merchandise sales by individual teams get pooled by the NBA and distributed evenly across all teams. From the cursory glance I took...international corporate sponsorships are a bit trickier, with deals like jersey patch revenue going directly to the team, and other types of sponsorships getting pooled.

All interesting!

So I just signed up for my League Pass, and was not eligible for Blazervision since I'm outside of the PNW. League Pass is also scoped to the US. But I've also spent time in China, and the one thing any tech-savvy person in China has is a VPN, and the second thing is how to get a PayPal or similar account that can purchase things out of China. So it's pretty likely, if my assumptions are correct, that a big chunk of those would-be "local only streaming" viewers will be able to get subscriptions if they want it. And that, if my supposition is accurate, would go straight to the Blazers' ownership.

Oh yeah...I certainly don't doubt that there are VPN-based options for any person willing to do what they have to do in other countries. I was just pointing out the "official" way broadcast streams are handled, AFAIK...

Certainly, the League has incentive for the Blazers to do well with Yang. Personally, I just can't wait for the Blazers to get the ol' NBA try and jump up to win the Lotto next year!

[Walton1one]

Yang, has all the hallmarks of a middling back up big man. I fail to see how you can start or play a guy like that for 30 minutes with a complete lack of lateral speed and defensive instincts. That is if he can even stay on the floor that long without fouling out. The guy averaged 5.3 fouls/game in the preseason (and 3.5 rebounds...ouch).

Basically, POR wasted their draft pick on a career back up big who plays the same position as their #7 pick LY, is also a drop big and is SIGNIFICANTLY worse defensively. Oh yeah, and a hope\prayer that ORL falls off a cliff by 2028 and that pick is worth something even marginally valuable (and not a pick that is likely 25+). A true master class by Cronin....

Would I have rather the Blazers just stuck to their pick and drafted who I liked at that spot? Cedric Coward or Nique Clifford? Yep. Shoot, Blazers could have still made the trade and drafted Nique at 16. Nique in particular averaged 14.5/3.5/4.5 in preseason, with a couple of 40% 3pt games and not a single missed FT in...seems like decent value as a backup G at 11 and especially 16.

But this is all missing the point.

Even if Yang puts up pedestrian, backup big numbers, the Blazers officially tied themselves to a cash cow--especially since the NBA opened up the Chinese market once again. If Yang only averages 5/5/1 for his career, the Blazers will still make HUGE money off the millions in China watching the team. If the Blazers don't have a preseason game in China next year I will be absolutely amazed.

You and I are in agreement on what they SHOULD have done with their pick.

To your point, even (when?) he puts up pedestrian numbers or ends up as a backup, the pick, from a basketball perspective will have been a poor one, China market\money coming into POR aside. The question really is, was this a basketball related move or a marketing one? That is ultimately what Schmitz\Cronin will\should be judged on, not whether this was a savvy "business related" move. Can the guy play effectively in the NBA or is he just one of the many novelty acts that have come and gone before?

If any part of the Yang pick was with China\sales in mind then IMO it was not a basketball related move then was it? Is the goal to win a championship or sell Blazer jerseys in China? Is that what Dundon paid $4+ billion to buy this franchise for, to sell merch? Is that what he is doing in Carolina?

[oldfishermen]

Hasen shot 33.3% from 3pt in the CBA. He looked comfortable shooting the 3 during the summer league games.

IF, Hansen improves his 3pt shooting, and becomes a stretch big. His outside scoring threat will pull defenders away from the basket. This will open up driving lanes to the basket for Shaedon or Scoot.

Also, this outside role on O may be a good P&R strategy using his passing skills. But I will defer to those that have a better understanding of this strategy. I am getting into topics above my pay grade.

[zzaj]

Hasen shot 33.3% from 3pt in the CBA. He looked comfortable shooting the 3 during the summer league games.

IF, Hansen improves his 3pt shooting, and becomes a stretch big. His outside scoring threat will pull defenders away from the basket. This will open up driving lanes to the basket for Shaedon or Scoot.

Also, this outside role on O may be a good P&R strategy using his passing skills. But I will defer to those that have a better understanding of this strategy. I am getting into topics above my pay grade.

It's 100% how the Blazers should be running things when Yang is on the court--high sets with Yang making decisions at the top of the key surrounded by cutters and screening action. The problem is that takes time and familiarity to implement, and Yang is already well behind in both of those things...plus, teams basically never practice anymore.

[Wizenheimer]

Hasen shot 33.3% from 3pt in the CBA. He looked comfortable shooting the 3 during the summer league games.

IF, Hansen improves his 3pt shooting, and becomes a stretch big. His outside scoring threat will pull defenders away from the basket. This will open up driving lanes to the basket for Shaedon or Scoot.

Also, this outside role on O may be a good P&R strategy using his passing skills. But I will defer to those that have a better understanding of this strategy. I am getting into topics above my pay grade.

It's 100% how the Blazers should be running things when Yang is on the court--high sets with Yang making decisions at the top of the key surrounded by cutters and screening action. The problem is that takes time and familiarity to implement, and Yang is already well behind in both of those things...plus, teams basically never practice anymore.

I'm sorry, but I think all this chatter about Yang being some kind of Jokic/Walton-like high post hub of the offense is premature nonsense. Sure, he may eventually develop some of the required skills. But in the CBA, Summer League, and preseason, what Yang has shown is that he will commit about one turnover for every assist. Parking him well outside of the paint and giving him the ball where it will be exposed to the hands and deflections of passing perimeter defenders while expecting his undeveloped BBIQ to compensate is a prescription for opposing teams to make hay in transition off of Yang turnovers

after all the talk about Yang's offensive 'advantage' over Clingan, here are some pre-season results

MPG - Yang 18.4....Clingan 19.4
PPG - Yang 8.0....Clingan 7.5
FGA - Yang 6.5....Clingan 6.8
assist/turnovers per game - Yang 1.0/2.8....Clingan 1.0/0.8

so then, Yang only averaged about a half point more a game than Clingan on 0.3 less shots. That's not some significant offensive advantage. More than that is both players average the same number of assists but Yang was a massive turnover machine compared to Clingan. I just don't know where people are getting the idea that Yang is some kind of offensive juggernaut and the idea he can be a hub of the offense seems nuts

but, there's this:

Reb/game - Yang 3.5....Clingan 9.0
reb/36 - Yang 6.8....Clingan 18.1
off reb/game - Yang 1.0....Clingan 5.8
off reb/36 - Yang 1.96....Clingan 10.56

Clingan was a monster on the boards, especially on offense. And the thing is, Clingan was a dominant rebounder last season....in an actual NBA season against NBA players, often starting C's

parking Yang 20 feet from the basket just seems like Meyers Leonard 2.0

[zzaj]

Hasen shot 33.3% from 3pt in the CBA. He looked comfortable shooting the 3 during the summer league games.

IF, Hansen improves his 3pt shooting, and becomes a stretch big. His outside scoring threat will pull defenders away from the basket. This will open up driving lanes to the basket for Shaedon or Scoot.

Also, this outside role on O may be a good P&R strategy using his passing skills. But I will defer to those that have a better understanding of this strategy. I am getting into topics above my pay grade.

It's 100% how the Blazers should be running things when Yang is on the court--high sets with Yang making decisions at the top of the key surrounded by cutters and screening action. The problem is that takes time and familiarity to implement, and Yang is already well behind in both of those things...plus, teams basically never practice anymore.

I'm sorry, but I think all this chatter about Yang being some kind of Jokic/Walton-like high post hub of the offense is premature nonsense. Sure, he may eventually develop some of the required skills. But in the CBA, Summer League, and preseason, what Yang has shown is that he will commit about one turnover for every assist. Parking him well outside of the paint and giving him the ball where it will be exposed to the hands and deflections of passing perimeter defenders while expecting his undeveloped BBIQ to compensate is a prescription for opposing teams to make hay in transition off of Yang turnovers

after all the talk about Yang's offensive 'advantage' over Clingan, here are some pre-season results

MPG - Yang 18.4....Clingan 19.4
PPG - Yang 8.0....Clingan 7.5
FGA - Yang 6.5....Clingan 6.8
assist/turnovers per game - Yang 1.0/2.8....Clingan 1.0/0.8

so then, Yang only averaged about a half point more a game than Clingan on 0.3 less shots. That's not some significant offensive advantage. More than that is both players average the same number of assists but Yang was a massive turnover machine compared to Clingan. I just don't know where people are getting the idea that Yang is some kind of offensive juggernaut and the idea he can be a hub of the offense seems nuts

but, there's this:

Reb/game - Yang 3.5....Clingan 9.0
reb/36 - Yang 6.8....Clingan 18.1
off reb/game - Yang 1.0....Clingan 5.8
off reb/36 - Yang 1.96....Clingan 10.56

Clingan was a monster on the boards, especially on offense. And the thing is, Clingan was a dominant rebounder last season....in an actual NBA season against NBA players, often starting C's

parking Yang 20 feet from the basket just seems like Meyers Leonard 2.0

Hey, I'm the one that came up with the term "Broke-ic". lol

To be clear, I'm not saying that he's ever going to be a Jokic or Walton-eque level talent. That would be insane. Nor am I saying he's any kind of "offensive juggernaut" or any kind of full-time hub of an offense.

What I am saying is that one of Yang's only real NBA skills at this stage is his ability to process offensively and pass. We've seen the best version of him offensively when he's worked at the top of the key...warts and all. I understand the turnovers, but I'm not going to read too much into that stat at this stage of the kid's career. Especially since he's so unfamiliar with his teammates, and vice-versa.

I'm also saying that the Blazers have all but abandoned (as has the rest of the NBA) any semblance of Post Up opportunities for their Center position. In the preseason Yang kept trying to post up on the weakside when the ball swung around the perimeter and it ended in disaster every single time.

Like it or not, he's the likely backup Center on nights when RWIII isn't playing. If the Blazers are going to build on what limited skill Yang has, they should be putting him and the team in a position to succeed.

[oldfishermen]

Hasen shot 33.3% from 3pt in the CBA. He looked comfortable shooting the 3 during the summer league games.

IF, Hansen improves his 3pt shooting, and becomes a stretch big. His outside scoring threat will pull defenders away from the basket. This will open up driving lanes to the basket for Shaedon or Scoot.

Also, this outside role on O may be a good P&R strategy using his passing skills. But I will defer to those that have a better understanding of this strategy. I am getting into topics above my pay grade.

It's 100% how the Blazers should be running things when Yang is on the court--high sets with Yang making decisions at the top of the key surrounded by cutters and screening action. The problem is that takes time and familiarity to implement, and Yang is already well behind in both of those things...plus, teams basically never practice anymore.

I'm sorry, but I think all this chatter about Yang being some kind of Jokic/Walton-like high post hub of the offense is premature nonsense. Sure, he may eventually develop some of the required skills. But in the CBA, Summer League, and preseason, what Yang has shown is that he will commit about one turnover for every assist. Parking him well outside of the paint and giving him the ball where it will be exposed to the hands and deflections of passing perimeter defenders while expecting his undeveloped BBIQ to compensate is a prescription for opposing teams to make hay in transition off of Yang turnovers

after all the talk about Yang's offensive 'advantage' over Clingan, here are some pre-season results

MPG - Yang 18.4....Clingan 19.4
PPG - Yang 8.0....Clingan 7.5
FGA - Yang 6.5....Clingan 6.8
assist/turnovers per game - Yang 1.0/2.8....Clingan 1.0/0.8

so then, Yang only averaged about a half point more a game than Clingan on 0.3 less shots. That's not some significant offensive advantage. More than that is both players average the same number of assists but Yang was a massive turnover machine compared to Clingan. I just don't know where people are getting the idea that Yang is some kind of offensive juggernaut and the idea he can be a hub of the offense seems nuts

but, there's this:

Reb/game - Yang 3.5....Clingan 9.0
reb/36 - Yang 6.8....Clingan 18.1
off reb/game - Yang 1.0....Clingan 5.8
off reb/36 - Yang 1.96....Clingan 10.56

Clingan was a monster on the boards, especially on offense. And the thing is, Clingan was a dominant rebounder last season....in an actual NBA season against NBA players, often starting C's

parking Yang 20 feet from the basket just seems like Meyers Leonard 2.0

Give Hansen time to settle down. Everything is new to him. Food, rules, culture, language, money exchange to name just a few. He has been invited to play out his dream. He will figure out where he a can place his hands, and how not to lose he ball.

Put yourself in his shoes. You have been invited to play out your dream. You get paid big bucks to travel with the South Korean k- pop group, Black Pink. Your job is to upgrade their nightly pillow fights. It might take you a few months to figure out the rules, and where you can place your hands, and how not to lose the pillow.

[Wizenheimer]

Spoiler:

It's 100% how the Blazers should be running things when Yang is on the court--high sets with Yang making decisions at the top of the key surrounded by cutters and screening action. The problem is that takes time and familiarity to implement, and Yang is already well behind in both of those things...plus, teams basically never practice anymore.

I'm sorry, but I think all this chatter about Yang being some kind of Jokic/Walton-like high post hub of the offense is premature nonsense. Sure, he may eventually develop some of the required skills. But in the CBA, Summer League, and preseason, what Yang has shown is that he will commit about one turnover for every assist. Parking him well outside of the paint and giving him the ball where it will be exposed to the hands and deflections of passing perimeter defenders while expecting his undeveloped BBIQ to compensate is a prescription for opposing teams to make hay in transition off of Yang turnovers

after all the talk about Yang's offensive 'advantage' over Clingan, here are some pre-season results

MPG - Yang 18.4....Clingan 19.4
PPG - Yang 8.0....Clingan 7.5
FGA - Yang 6.5....Clingan 6.8
assist/turnovers per game - Yang 1.0/2.8....Clingan 1.0/0.8

so then, Yang only averaged about a half point more a game than Clingan on 0.3 less shots. That's not some significant offensive advantage. More than that is both players average the same number of assists but Yang was a massive turnover machine compared to Clingan. I just don't know where people are getting the idea that Yang is some kind of offensive juggernaut and the idea he can be a hub of the offense seems nuts

but, there's this:

Reb/game - Yang 3.5....Clingan 9.0
reb/36 - Yang 6.8....Clingan 18.1
off reb/game - Yang 1.0....Clingan 5.8
off reb/36 - Yang 1.96....Clingan 10.56

Clingan was a monster on the boards, especially on offense. And the thing is, Clingan was a dominant rebounder last season....in an actual NBA season against NBA players, often starting C's

parking Yang 20 feet from the basket just seems like Meyers Leonard 2.0

Hey, I'm the one that came up with the term "Broke-ic". lol

To be clear, I'm not saying that he's ever going to be a Jokic or Walton-eque level talent. That would be insane. Nor am I saying he's any kind of "offensive juggernaut" or any kind of full-time hub of an offense.

What I am saying is that one of Yang's only real NBA skills at this stage is his ability to process offensively and pass. We've seen the best version of him offensively when he's worked at the top of the key...warts and all. I understand the turnovers, but I'm not going to read too much into that stat at this stage of the kid's career. Especially since he's so unfamiliar with his teammates, and vice-versa.

I'm also saying that the Blazers have all but abandoned (as has the rest of the NBA) any semblance of Post Up opportunities for their Center position. In the preseason Yang kept trying to post up on the weakside when the ball swung around the perimeter and it ended in disaster every single time.

Like it or not, he's the likely backup Center on nights when RWIII isn't playing. If the Blazers are going to build on what limited skill Yang has, they should be putting him and the team in a position to succeed.

to be clear, I just used your post as a springboard to dive into some of the things I'm thinking about Yang and the massive hype around the guy. All the "Chinese Jokic" yakkity-yak has been over the top.

to be fair, not all turnovers a big man commits are passing turnovers. He might travel, turn the ball over when dribbling; certainly will get whistled for an offensive foul occasionally. And while the pre-season doesn't count for much, it certainly more revealing than summer league. And in 4 pre-season games Yang had 4 assists and 11 turnovers. Now, if the Blazers want to experiment with Yang in the high post then fine. But everything Portland has said this summer and fall is that it's winning time now...experiments should be over and projects should be minimized

[zzaj]

Spoiler:

I'm sorry, but I think all this chatter about Yang being some kind of Jokic/Walton-like high post hub of the offense is premature nonsense. Sure, he may eventually develop some of the required skills. But in the CBA, Summer League, and preseason, what Yang has shown is that he will commit about one turnover for every assist. Parking him well outside of the paint and giving him the ball where it will be exposed to the hands and deflections of passing perimeter defenders while expecting his undeveloped BBIQ to compensate is a prescription for opposing teams to make hay in transition off of Yang turnovers

after all the talk about Yang's offensive 'advantage' over Clingan, here are some pre-season results

MPG - Yang 18.4....Clingan 19.4
PPG - Yang 8.0....Clingan 7.5
FGA - Yang 6.5....Clingan 6.8
assist/turnovers per game - Yang 1.0/2.8....Clingan 1.0/0.8

so then, Yang only averaged about a half point more a game than Clingan on 0.3 less shots. That's not some significant offensive advantage. More than that is both players average the same number of assists but Yang was a massive turnover machine compared to Clingan. I just don't know where people are getting the idea that Yang is some kind of offensive juggernaut and the idea he can be a hub of the offense seems nuts

but, there's this:

Reb/game - Yang 3.5....Clingan 9.0
reb/36 - Yang 6.8....Clingan 18.1
off reb/game - Yang 1.0....Clingan 5.8
off reb/36 - Yang 1.96....Clingan 10.56

Clingan was a monster on the boards, especially on offense. And the thing is, Clingan was a dominant rebounder last season....in an actual NBA season against NBA players, often starting C's

parking Yang 20 feet from the basket just seems like Meyers Leonard 2.0

Hey, I'm the one that came up with the term "Broke-ic". lol

To be clear, I'm not saying that he's ever going to be a Jokic or Walton-eque level talent. That would be insane. Nor am I saying he's any kind of "offensive juggernaut" or any kind of full-time hub of an offense.

What I am saying is that one of Yang's only real NBA skills at this stage is his ability to process offensively and pass. We've seen the best version of him offensively when he's worked at the top of the key...warts and all. I understand the turnovers, but I'm not going to read too much into that stat at this stage of the kid's career. Especially since he's so unfamiliar with his teammates, and vice-versa.

I'm also saying that the Blazers have all but abandoned (as has the rest of the NBA) any semblance of Post Up opportunities for their Center position. In the preseason Yang kept trying to post up on the weakside when the ball swung around the perimeter and it ended in disaster every single time.

Like it or not, he's the likely backup Center on nights when RWIII isn't playing. If the Blazers are going to build on what limited skill Yang has, they should be putting him and the team in a position to succeed.

to be clear, I just used your post as a springboard to dive into some of the things I'm thinking about Yang and the massive hype around the guy. All the "Chinese Jokic" yakkity-yak has been over the top.

to be fair, not all turnovers a big man commits are passing turnovers. He might travel, turn the ball over when dribbling; certainly will get whistled for an offensive foul occasionally. And while the pre-season doesn't count for much, it certainly more revealing than summer league. And in 4 pre-season games Yang had 4 assists and 11 turnovers. Now, if the Blazers want to experiment with Yang in the high post then fine. But everything Portland has said this summer and fall is that it's winning time now...experiments should be over and projects should be minimized

Yeah, there's obviously a massive divide between "It's winning time" and relying on starting a drop-coverage Sophomore Center who averaged 20 minutes a game last year, and another drop-coverage, project Center who can barely communicate in english, as the bulk of the Center rotation.

Considering that gap widened by the fact that the PG rotation as it stands is Scoot/Jrue/Wesley/Love.

Cronin did walk back his "win now" comments a bit during media day...but I tend to judge on a person's oeuvre. It'll be interesting to see how heavy a hand Dundon will have once he's owner. He seems to have a history of non-fence straddling.

[mojomarc]

Not trying to agree or disagree with anything @wiz or some of the other folks have said. Just want to point out we're working on a sample of four preseason games for a 20yo big. Bigs always take longer to get used to the speed when they jump up a league, and Yang is jumping up two. Does he have a ton of promise? I believe he does and the Broke-ic is a pretty unique skillset worth a significant gamble. Will it take 2-3 seasons before we really know if that promise will pan out? I also believe this is true. So let's give the kid a chance to go through a season practicing against NBA talent, playing against NBA talents, and getting NBA-level coaching (or whatever Billups and team is ). Any pronouncement of what he will be at this time, on the down side or up side, is wildly premature.

And taking a solid back-up level talent at 16 is about what the expectation should be. I'm fine, in that range, taking a giant leap like this. I think if it pans out, Cronin deserves massive credit. If it doesn't, it's honestly par for the course. I would venture to guess that 50-60% of mid-first picks don't make a significant contribution in the NBA, and a big chunk of those don't even make it past their rookie contract. So let's just enjoy the ride, guys. It's going to be bumpy as hell, but it will also be a lot more fun than watching Ayrton.

[PDXKnight]

Hey, I'm the one that came up with the term "Broke-ic". lol

To be clear, I'm not saying that he's ever going to be a Jokic or Walton-eque level talent. That would be insane. Nor am I saying he's any kind of "offensive juggernaut" or any kind of full-time hub of an offense.

What I am saying is that one of Yang's only real NBA skills at this stage is his ability to process offensively and pass. We've seen the best version of him offensively when he's worked at the top of the key...warts and all. I understand the turnovers, but I'm not going to read too much into that stat at this stage of the kid's career. Especially since he's so unfamiliar with his teammates, and vice-versa.

I'm also saying that the Blazers have all but abandoned (as has the rest of the NBA) any semblance of Post Up opportunities for their Center position. In the preseason Yang kept trying to post up on the weakside when the ball swung around the perimeter and it ended in disaster every single time.

Like it or not, he's the likely backup Center on nights when RWIII isn't playing. If the Blazers are going to build on what limited skill Yang has, they should be putting him and the team in a position to succeed.

to be clear, I just used your post as a springboard to dive into some of the things I'm thinking about Yang and the massive hype around the guy. All the "Chinese Jokic" yakkity-yak has been over the top.

to be fair, not all turnovers a big man commits are passing turnovers. He might travel, turn the ball over when dribbling; certainly will get whistled for an offensive foul occasionally. And while the pre-season doesn't count for much, it certainly more revealing than summer league. And in 4 pre-season games Yang had 4 assists and 11 turnovers. Now, if the Blazers want to experiment with Yang in the high post then fine. But everything Portland has said this summer and fall is that it's winning time now...experiments should be over and projects should be minimized

Yeah, there's obviously a massive divide between "It's winning time" and relying on starting a drop-coverage Sophomore Center who averaged 20 minutes a game last year, and another drop-coverage, project Center who can barely communicate in english, as the bulk of the Center rotation.

Considering that gap widened by the fact that the PG rotation as it stands is Scoot/Jrue/Wesley/Love.

Cronin did walk back his "win now" comments a bit during media day...but I tend to judge on a person's oeuvre. It'll be interesting to see how heavy a hand Dundon will have once he's owner. He seems to have a history of non-fence straddling.

While I dont think itll get better overnight I do think the team will have a more clear direction pretty soon as well.

I wouldnt be surprised if we tried to swing for the fences in one direction or another. If 1 or 2 guys break out maybe you try to cash a couple pieces and picks in for a superstar. Or Alternatively clean house of the vets if this roster doesnt do well

[Village Idiot]

Slightly off-topic but that Orlando unprotected 2028 1st is looking more valuable given their early start to the season. They still can't shoot and look pretty uninspiring