Portland Trail Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter this week hinted that rookie Yang Hansen could see additional time in the G League with the Rip City Remix.
Yang has played sparingly to begin the season, totaling 29 minutes over the first five games for the Trail Blazers. He has since been a healthy scratch from the lineup in their last three games, receiving a “DNP – Coach’s Decision” designation in each contest.
The 16th pick in the draft has been assigned to the Remix on a few occasions to practice with the team. With the G League season tipping off on Friday, Yang could be a candidate to log some minutes with the Remix as part of his development plan.
“I understand there are a lot of expectations,” Splitter said of Yang. “For now, he is going to keep working out, getting better, getting in NBA shape, with speed and all of that. He is doing that. He is working out every day very hard. Some days, he is going to the G League and getting up and down. We just got to be patient with him, and right now, I don’t want to put him there in the fire. We just got to be careful there.”
Yang was an All-Star in each of the past two seasons with the Qingdao Eagles in the CBA, the top professional league in China. He averaged 16.6 points, 10.5 rebounds, three assists and 2.6 blocks in 32.8 minutes per game across 45 appearances last season.
The 7-footer averaged eight points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and one assist on 40% shooting from 3-point range in four preseason appearances with the Trail Blazers. He recorded 16 points, four rebounds and three blocks on Oct. 10 in a win over the Sacramento Kings.
Yang was commended throughout training camp for the way he has picked things up and asserted himself in practice. The organization made a bold move to draft him, and it appears the group is content with bringing him along slowly this season.