The Portland Path Blazers shocked a lot of the basketball world throughout Wednesday night time’s NBA draft by buying and selling again from the No. 11 choose to pick out heart Yang Hansen out of China at No. 16.
Depend Yang amongst these stunned.
“I used to be anticipating to be chosen on the finish of the primary spherical,” Yang advised reporters on the Barclays Heart in Brooklyn, New York, web site of the draft. “So, that is positively an enormous shock for me to be chosen in the midst of the primary spherical.”
However the 7-foot-1 Yang wasn’t stunned that the Blazers picked him.
“The Blazers had scouts scouting me in China the final couple of years,” Yang mentioned. “I additionally had a pre-workout with them final month. All the pieces went very effectively and I received together with the entire front-office folks. However on the finish of the day, that is form of past my wildest creativeness.”
NBA draft picks normally maintain video convention calls with the media protecting their new workforce. Nevertheless, Yang was not made accessible partially as a result of he makes use of a translator throughout interviews.
The Blazers will introduce Yang at their Tualatin observe facility on Friday.
Blazers basic supervisor Joe Cronin mentioned following the draft that the Blazers started scouting Yang within the fall of 2023 and entered the draft focusing on him from the beginning.
Most mock drafts projected Yang to be accessible within the second spherical. However Cronin was solely keen to commerce again 5 spots to keep away from dropping out on the proficient large.
“He’s a really succesful participant,” Cronin mentioned. “His skillset may be very, very superior for his age. His bodily stature, he’s mature bodily already. He’s not a younger, gangly man. He’s sturdy and agency and durable and might face up to the power of those NBA guys to a big extent.”
Cronin additionally pointed to Yang’s basketball smarts.
“His basketball IQ may be very, very excessive, and he makes others higher,” Cronin mentioned. “And that’s what we’re making an attempt to do right here, is locate guys that assist complement and construct one another up. And it’s one thing that he thrives at.”
The Blazers used the No. 11 choose to draft Washington State wing Cedric Coward, then traded his rights to Memphis for the No. 16 choose, a future first-round choose by way of Orlando and second-round picks in 2027 and 2028.
The second spherical of the draft will probably be held on Thursday, however the Blazers haven’t any additional picks.
— Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Fb)
