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The Portland Trail Blazers may have uncovered a gem in Yang Hansen. The 7-foot-1 Chinese center has turned heads at the 2025 NBA Summer League.
But Yang Hansen's early flashes of brilliance have already drawn comparisons to a familiar figure, Yao Ming. The former Rockets star dazzled with skill and size, yet saw his career derailed by lower-body injuries that serve as a lasting warning.
Fans have marveled at Yang’s passing vision, soft touch, and perimeter shooting, rare tools for a player his size. The hype machine has even dubbed him the “Chinese Jokic,” a label that hints at his impressive offensive upside.
Still, despite the justified buzz, Portland’s front office and coaching staff must face a more pressing concern. Yang’s lack of lower-body strength and physicality stands out as a major red flag.
Yang Hansen's glaring weakness: lower-body physicality
That concern isn’t just theoretical. It’s been on full display in the Summer League. Yang showcases impressive moments, draining threes off the pick-and-pop and throwing slick interior passes, but smaller players often out-rebound him, push him off the block, and expose his discomfort with contact near the rim.
Opponents quickly learned that fronting him or delivering a shoulder to the chest was often enough to disrupt his rhythm. For a center expected to play heavy minutes in the NBA, that’s a troubling sign.
What makes this issue more alarming is the cautionary tale that looms large over Chinese basketball: Yao Ming. The former No. 1 overall pick and eight-time NBA All-Star brought global attention to the Houston Rockets and lifted China’s profile on the basketball world stage.
At his peak, Yao was nearly unstoppable, blending finesse with towering dominance. Yet despite his generational talent, a string of devastating lower-body injuries, primarily to his feet and ankles, cut Yao’s career short. He played just 486 NBA games before those injuries forced him to retire at age 30.
The Yao Ming warning for Yang Hansen
The parallels between Yao Ming and Yang Hansen are impossible to ignore. Both are skilled 7-footers who shoulder immense pressure on their frames. They must score and anchor the paint against the world’s most physical athletes.
And just like Yao, Yang is expected to represent both his team and his country on a global stage. If he joins national competitions, he may carry a year-round playing burden. That additional wear and tear compounds the risk.
Yao’s downfall was due in large part to the immense strain placed on his lower extremities. Despite his incredible skill, his feet and legs couldn’t withstand the rigors of the NBA schedule combined with international commitments.
Portland must learn from that and do everything possible to build Yang’s base before asking him to carry any heavy minutes. Without a strong core and lower-body stability, Yang is at risk of following a similar trajectory.
What are the Trail Blazers doing with Yang Hansen?
To their credit, the Blazers appear to be taking a cautious approach. After four strong but physically demanding Summer League performances, the Trail Blazers opted to shut Yang Hansen down early. While they haven’t stated this publicly, it’s likely they want him to begin focusing on conditioning, strength development, and injury prevention.
This isn’t just smart; it’s essential because while the highlights are fun, getting repeatedly outmuscled under the basket cancels out any amount of offensive flair.
Moving forward, Portland’s sports science team must design a comprehensive plan tailored to Yang’s unique frame. This includes building lean muscle mass, improving joint stability, and increasing bone density, especially in the feet, knees, and hips.
Resistance training, core work, and plyometric drills must become a daily routine. Nutrition and recovery protocols should be top-tier, ensuring he maintains mobility while bulking up safely.
If Yang can develop the strength to complement his skills, the Trail Blazers may have landed a franchise-altering center. His basketball IQ and offensive feel are ahead of the curve, and he already plays with poise that belies his age. But without physical reinforcement, those tools may go underused or, worse, become irrelevant in the grind of an 82-game season.
The road ahead for Yang Hansen
Ultimately, Yang Hansen’s NBA journey is just beginning. He’s shown that the tools are real, the vision excites, and the potential looms large. But he must now do the most important work away from the cameras, grinding in the weight room, training at the facility, and embracing the quiet discipline needed to fortify a 7-foot body for the NBA’s punishing demands.
And if the Trail Blazers gets it right, Yang Hansen could rewrite the narrative left behind by Yao, not just as a star from China but as a durable cornerstone built to last.
