The Jazz Must Select Hansen Yang at 21

[Basketball Novice]

I just can't see how he gets high usage at all in the NBA. You have to be able to create off the dribble as an offensive center these days.

There is no reason why he can't scale down. From the scrimmages, he's clearly good at running handoff action stuff. He also is constantly trying to set screens to help his teammates in various ways. Can be the role man and looks to have good hands for catching the ball. Can also dribble a little bit and make some post moves. The touch looks good and also the 3 looks decent. I see him as very versatile offensively.

Defensively he looks smooth but a bit slow. He can be, at least, a drop big and a rim protector. Beyond that, I don't know defensively.

 

[HadAnEffectHere]

There is no reason why he can't scale down. From the scrimmages, he's clearly good at running handoff action stuff. He also is constantly trying to set screens to help his teammates in various ways. Can be the role man and looks to have good hands for catching the ball. Can also dribble a little bit and make some post moves. The touch looks good and also the 3 looks decent. I see him as very versatile offensively.

Defensively he looks smooth but a bit slow. He can be, at least, a drop big and a rim protector. Beyond that, I don't know defensively.

He needs to be extremely high usage to make up for how bad his defense is, he can't scale down or he's useless.

 

[Basketball Novice]

He needs to be extremely high usage to make up for how bad his defense is, he can't scale down or he's useless.

Wasn't he defensive player of the year in the CBA? I find it hard to believe his defense is that bad. Your saying that he's going to go from the best defensive player in the CBA to a horrific defender in the NBA.

 

[jerick]

Come on he is the on the first team all CBA defensively, also he’s so young and skillful on playmaking and shooting as a center.
Just do it!
(Imagine Jazz becoming the most welcomed team in China and dominating all-star votes. That would be so freaking cool)

 

[Tremendous Upside]

The problem with these unathletic centers with outdated skillsets is that no modern NBA team is going to grind their offense to a halt to cater to them. Edey is a great example. Whenever Memphis has gone into "All right all right, give the kid the ball... sheesh" mode, it's been an absolute disaster. When you can only (sometimes) score by setting up shop in the low block and backing in until you're in jump hook range, it just kills everything around you. No spacing, no passing lanes, the defense rests. You better hit like 90% of those hooks to make it worthwhile.

I have zero idea why Hansen is guarded all the way to the perimeter in China like he's Steph Curry, but that's not gonna happen in the NBA. Whenever he shoots it looks like he's trying to break the backboard, so big men defenders in the League will happily either let him do that, or spin in place at the 3pt line looking for a handoff target. He won't be flinging those silly thread-the-needle passes to cutters.

Once again – forget counting stats, awards and highlights from inferior leagues and focus on how the skills translate to the NBA. In this case, they don't.

 

[jerick]

The problem with these unathletic centers with outdated skillsets is that no modern NBA team is going to grind their offense to a halt to cater to them. Edey is a great example. Whenever Memphis has gone into "All right all right, give the kid the ball... sheesh" mode, it's been an absolute disaster. When you can only (sometimes) score by setting up shop in the low block and backing in until you're in jump hook range, it just kills everything around you. No spacing, no passing lanes, the defense rests. You better hit like 90% of those hooks to make it worthwhile.

I have zero idea why Hansen is guarded all the way to the perimeter in China like he's Steph Curry, but that's not gonna happen in the NBA. Whenever he shoots it looks like he's trying to break the backboard, so big men defenders in the League will happily either let him do that, or spin in place at the 3pt line looking for a handoff target. He won't be flinging those silly thread-the-needle passes to cutters.

Once again – forget counting stats, awards and highlights from inferior leagues and focus on how the skills translate to the NBA. In this case, they don't.

Bro then watch the highlights from draft combines. His skills translated well against other draftees in the same class. Defining him now is way too early. He’ll at least be handy at 43.