Trail Blazers recall Yang Hansen! Media review of the 2023 draft: The team should have picked Amen instead of Henderson

On December 18th Beijing time, the Trail Blazers recalled Yang Hansen and Lu Peile from the G League. In the previous G League match, Yang Hansen posted 14 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 turnover, and 3 fouls. Portland media outlet RipCityProject commented on the team's draft performance, stating that the draft value of Yang Hansen and Klingen still needs time to be proven. However, if the team had chosen Amen Thompson instead of Scoot Henderson in the 2023 draft, the team's situation would be much better, possibly even good enough to make the playoffs. Below is the related content—

Currently, all attention is focused on the Trail Blazers’ picks Yang Hansen and Klingen, while Scoot Henderson has become somewhat overlooked. Had the Trail Blazers selected Amen Thompson instead of Henderson, the team’s current circumstances might be significantly improved, even with a chance to reach the playoffs.

Amen Thompson is now a key star for the Houston Rockets. Over the next several years, he is expected to be a regular in the All-Defensive teams, with his offensive skills steadily improving. On the other hand, Henderson has yet to make his debut this season, and his performance so far cannot be considered a successful draft pick.

Amen once participated in the Trail Blazers’ draft workout.

Imagine a core lineup consisting of Amen Thompson, Avdija, Klingen, Kamara, and Sharpe — this group would undoubtedly rank among the league’s strongest teams.

The Trail Blazers’ recent drafts have been fairly decent overall. Klingen, Yang Hansen, and Sharpe have all shown great potential.

However, the Trail Blazers could have selected a center better than Klingen and Yang Hansen. Zach Edey was picked shortly after Klingen, and during his time with the Grizzlies, he has shown very solid performance when healthy.

Regarding the choice of Yang Hansen, the Trail Blazers actually moved down in the draft order to secure him. They originally had a chance to pick Derek Quinn, who has since emerged as a star with the Pelicans.

But the decision to select Henderson now likely causes regret for the Trail Blazers. Perhaps once he recovers from his hamstring injury, he will finally show the star potential that the team hoped for when drafting him. Still, the team must be patient before seeing results. Meanwhile, Amen Thompson perfectly fits the Rockets’ needs.

So far this season, Thompson averages 17.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game, with a shooting percentage of 48%. He has delivered impressive stats for the Rockets, and his all-around defensive skills are especially valuable. He is considered one of the league’s best versatile defenders, capable of guarding nearly every position thanks to his excellent athleticism and, most importantly, his high defensive IQ that elevates his defensive prowess.

Had the Trail Blazers drafted Thompson instead of Henderson, the team’s overall development outlook might have been entirely different.

The draft value of Yang Hansen and Klingen still needs time to prove itself, and the same applies to Henderson. However, from a long-term perspective, the mistake of selecting Henderson stands out more prominently than other draft errors.