Yang Hansen's toughest start, nothing compares to this.

The Warriors vs. Trail Blazers preseason game was Yang Hansen’s first preseason appearance and the hardest game he has played in his career to date.

Though it’s a preseason, Yang Hansen was up against genuine NBA-caliber players, particularly in the first quarter when he faced off against Draymond and Horford, highlighting the level of intensity.

In the very first possession, Yang battled Horford under the basket and was called for a rebound foul. Yang is definitely taller than Horford, but his strength was lacking, resulting in an immediate foul.

However, Yang’s biggest issue today wasn’t strength but rather his lack of speed. The Warriors and Trail Blazers played extremely fast in the first half, crossing half court within three seconds with constant long passes and both teams running and shooting threes. This pace was too quick for Yang.

Not only did Yang struggle to adapt, but even Klingen, who started today, looked awkward at this pace. Yet, Klingen has played a full NBA season and is much better than Yang when it comes to defense and finishing near the basket.

The best-performing center for the Trail Blazers today was their third center and Yang’s familiar face, Dupree Reese. His spacing and attacking ability fit well with this game’s pace. The CBA and Summer League have different intensities, and Summer League and preseason are also distinct, so it was hard for Yang to adjust right away.

Even so, facing a veteran center like Horford gave Yang some learning opportunities. Horford certainly schooled him a bit; on offense, Yang flew out when Horford stepped just outside the three-point line. Fortunately, Yang protected the rim well afterward and didn’t concede points.

On defense, after Yang got a one-on-one chance at the top of the key, he tried to back Horford down twice but couldn’t move him. When Yang passed the ball, Butler slapped it away causing a turnover. This play perfectly illustrated Yang’s first “Welcome to the NBA” moment—lack of strength blocked his offense, and poor court vision disrupted his pass.

In the first quarter, Yang played 5 minutes and 37 seconds, recording 1 assist, 1 turnover, and 1 foul, looking somewhat clumsy. The rapid transition pace drained his stamina quickly, and he couldn’t keep up with opponents or teammates. Before leaving the court, he was easily shaken off by Post, which was uncalled for.

In the second quarter, aside from a traveling turnover, Yang had little impact on the court. He didn’t score or organize plays in the first half and had two turnovers. This was arguably his toughest start ever.

Yang seemed to recover somewhat in the third quarter. After a handoff at the top of the key and a pick-and-roll with Kamara, he cut in and scored his first preseason points with a layup. He could have dunked, but it was clear he was exhausted and couldn’t jump anymore.

After scoring, Yang finally smiled, his mental burden eased. He added a put-back basket, exploiting the Warriors’ small lineup weakness. In the final quarter against Post, Yang struggled to defend Post’s shooting, needing to cover both his teammates and Post’s three-point attempts, with little defensive coordination among teammates.

Credit goes to Billups for giving Yang the most playing time among the three centers, showing the coach’s intention for Yang to gain experience in this kind of game and high expectations for him. Billups kept Yang on the floor in the final quarter, wanting him to finish the game.

However, Yang accumulated fouls too quickly in the last quarter, picking up his fifth foul on an offensive foul and immediately receiving his sixth on a screen foul, forcing him to leave early. Yang was called for four fouls just in the final quarter. He still needs to understand and learn NBA foul standards, with assistants explaining the fouls to him on the sidelines.

When Yang left the court, his mouth twisted in dissatisfaction with his performance. Billups came over to encourage and pat him on the back, which improved my impression of Billups.

Yang played 21 minutes and 13 seconds today, shooting 2 of 5 from the field, 0 of 2 from three-point range, scoring 4 points, grabbing 4 rebounds, and dishing 1 assist with 4 turnovers. He fouled out with 6 fouls and had a plus-minus of -1. Out of 100, Yang’s performance today barely reaches 50, not quite passing.

Overall, Yang paid his dues in this game, truly experiencing what NBA-level competition feels like, which is vastly different from the Summer League. Coaches set many tactics for him in the Summer League, but today, Yang’s role was purely that of a blue-collar worker. He must first excel at the blue-collar tasks before anything else.

Today’s poor performance should be taken as a learning fee. Adapting to the pace, increasing speed on court, and controlling fouls are areas where Yang must improve. I believe Yang will perform much better in the next preseason game.

From now on, every step forward counts.