Like the Los Angeles Lakers and the Atlanta Hawks, the Portland Trail Blazers obtained a single player in the 2025 NBA Draft. In a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies, the Blazers acquired the draft rights to Chinese big man Yang Hansen. The seven-foot-one center is an intriguing big man prospect who stands out due to his immense passing talent. At Summer League, Yang flashed that talent for passing, wowing fans and analysts alike. He can certainly be an impactful player for the Blazers in the future with proper development. Let’s dive into the three reasons why Portland won the 2025 NBA Draft.

3 Reasons Why The Trail Blazers Won The 2025 NBA Draft
#1: Tantalizing Passing Skill Set

One of the primary reasons for Portland’s success in the draft is aquiring a center prospect with tremendous passing upside. Yang is an excellent passer who has demonstrated amazing vision and feel for his position. His height certainly allows him a greater view of the court, allowing him to see potential openings that a smaller player could miss.

In terms of his actual passing, Yang has shown that he can make quick and decisive reads against the defense, throwing a variety of different passes from anywhere on the court. In particular, Yang’s quick processing is most apparent in handoff or short-roll situations, where he can hit opportunistic cutters quickly. Additionally, his presence in the post can force defenders to collapse on him, creating looks for others.

#2: Strong Interior Impact

Another reason for the Blazers’ success is obtaining a center prospect who is immensely talented as a rim protector and rebounder. While the Blazers do have a defensive talent in Donovan Clingan, having another strong rim protector like Yang is a massive plus. Yang knows how to use his size and length to negatively impact shot attempts made by opposing players. Yang swatted away 2.6 shots per game in China this past season. Undoubtedly, Yang is an expert at properly timing when to go up and block shots.

Additionally, Yang’s size and length also help him be an impressive force on the boards. That size grants Yang the ability to take up a great deal of space under the basket, where he can corral plenty of rebounds. As for his rebounding numbers, Yang averaged 10.5 rebounds per game last season, with 3.1 rebounds being on the offensive end. With additional strength training, Yang can be even more effective as a rebounder at the NBA level.

#3: Intriguing Scoring Potential

Yang’s potential as a scorer can be counted as one of the bigger successes of Portland’s draft choices. As a scorer, Yang is defined by his interior presence, particularly as a post player. Unquestionably, Yang possesses excellent footwork and finesse in the paint. He can outwork opponents using a series of post moves like drop-steps and fakes to keep defenders on the back foot. Plus, Yang has a good touch around the rim, making him an effective scorer in the paint. Getting stronger would take Yang’s post offense to the next level.

While Yang is known for his interior scoring, he has shown flashes in his shooting and ball-handling. Specifically, Yang has shown some improvement as a shooter, with both his three-point and free-throw numbers being up. As for his ball-handling, Yang can put the ball on the floor to a certain extent. In particular, such dribbling is more noticeable in the short-roll, where he can take a dribble and extend to the basket. If he can improve his handle and shooting, Yang’s offensive ceiling will skyrocket.

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