Official Team Reporter: Yang Hansen inevitably reminds people of Jokic; the Trail Blazers should design some plays for him.

On October 10th Beijing time, Trail Blazers’ official reporter Casey Holdahl revisited Yang Hansen’s second preseason game on a podcast and gave a thorough evaluation. Because Holdahl is the official reporter for the Trail Blazers, his insights are relatively authoritative and worth referencing. Holdahl stated that Yang Hansen inevitably reminds people of Jokic and that the Trail Blazers ought to develop some strategies tailored for him. The detailed commentary is as follows—

Against the Kings, Yang Hansen made a strong comeback, finding his rhythm in the third quarter: he hit two three-pointers (both assisted by Avdija), significantly easing the tension. It was clear that each success boosted his confidence. For a young player still learning the language, positive feedback is essential to build confidence, such as “I did it, I proved I can do it.” Therefore,when he made those two three-pointers, it was evident that “Yang Hansen finally adapted.”.

In that quarter, Yang Hansen was perfect, scoring 14 points on 5-for-5 shooting, which electrified the Portland crowd. He appeared especially comfortable, almost like the player who controlled the pace, created opportunities, and played effortlessly during the Summer League.

Every time he made an impressive play and the crowd cheered, you could see his confidence and self-acceptance rise.Rather than just “confidence,” it was more a sense of ease—each success made him more relaxed on the court. Conversely, when things didn’t go well, such as his poor performance against the Warriors, as a rookie playing his first official NBA games, he might have doubted himself: “Am I really ready? Can I establish myself in this league?”

But in the third quarter against the Kings, he fully demonstrated his ability—justifying the Trail Blazers’ choice to pick him 16th in the first round and confirming why the team was willing to break convention by selecting him when other teams did not list him as a first-round prospect.

Of course, this was only preseason, and the opponent was the Kings, not the stronger Warriors. Yang Hansen also struggled at times in the game—for example, defending Sabonis was tough; even Klingen defending Sabonis is not easy. Sabonis is an All-Star, and as a 20-year-old rookie, it’s normal for Yang Hansen to have difficulty defending him. What’s commendable,is that he was not overwhelmed by the challenge and did not let it affect his subsequent performance. Instead, he seized the opportunity when he returned in the third quarter—this is a positive sign, showing he is not the type to back down when facing adversity but rather embraces challenges.

The key to all this is partly that Yang Hansen is gradually adapting, and partly that his teammates are also adjusting to his style. A detail in the third quarter: he held the ball high, as if playing a “water polo” style (raising the ball to observe teammates’ movements), looking for passing options, but no one got open, so he decisively took and made a mid-range jumper. It was clear he preferred teammates to cut in, but other teams had already studied his style through the Summer League—the scouting reports definitely say: “When Yang Hansen has the ball, watch out for opponents sneaking baseline passes; he excels at finding those passing lanes.”

Although opponents were prepared, Yang Hansen still managed to assist Sharp for a dunk. Next, opponents will adjust their defense, and the Trail Blazers need to respond accordingly—this reminded me of the game against the Warriors when the team didn’t give Yang Hansen enough ball possession to showcase his organizing skills. Of course, the team needs to operate within the established offensive system, but seeing Yang Hansen’s abilities, perhaps they could design one or two plays for him or tell him when he’s on the floor: “If the ball comes to you, you can make your own decisions.”

I think,this might be Yang Hansen’s rookie season role: the team first evaluates him this way, and if he performs well, they gradually add more tactical designs; if not, they maintain the current rhythm.However, his performance against the Kings proves that occasionally adjusting the game plan for Yang Hansen is worthwhile—not every time, nor most of the time, but occasionally optimizing based on his strengths to maximize his value.

The Trail Blazers aim to run a more dynamic offense this season, emphasizing ball movement, player cuts, and reading passes—Yang Hansen fits perfectly into such a system. At 20, he has a keen sense of how court spacing and player movement affect defense, which is rare.

Portland fans really like him; his style is very entertaining and energizes the crowd.Moreover, in my 20+ years in the industry, I’ve always believed that Trail Blazers fans have a special fondness for rookies. Maybe fans of other teams like rookies too, but Portland’s fanbase loves young players far more intensely than others.

Looking back at history, Portland fans have always favored promising young players—full of hope for “future potential” and “upcoming breakthroughs.” This mindset stems from their desire for the team to return to its peak. So when Yang Hansen shined in the third quarter, the enthusiastic atmosphere in the arena was genuine.

Also, watching Yang Hansen’s game against the Kings, you can see his three-point shooting, slow but rhythmic drives (he knows how to use his body), creating contact followed by “arc layups” (able to evade defenders), and even little gestures like “complaining” to the referees.These inevitably bring Jokic to mind.

Of course, Jokic is a historic-level NBA player,I’m not saying Yang Hansen can reach his level, but the two do share similarities: not only in playing style but also in some small moves, how they use their bodies, and even their physique.Neither is a lean, muscular type, but both know how to use their bodies to gain advantages rather than relying on explosiveness. For example, slow yet space-creating spins and gestures like “asking the referee for explanations” show a certain resemblance.