Yang Hansen has little chance to match up against Jokic? The Trail Blazers recall Robert Williams: four centers compete for playing time

On November 1st Beijing time, the Trail Blazers officially recalled center Robert Williams from the G League. Given that he was previously considered doubtful due to his demotion, his return to the squad means he is expected to play in today’s match against the Nuggets. Yang Hansen faces a more difficult situation and probably won’t have the opportunity to face his idol Jokic, as the team has four centers competing for playing time.

The Trail Blazers sent Williams down to their G League affiliate this past Tuesday so he could get back into game shape and rebuild his conditioning. The main reason for Williams’ absence was a left knee arthroscopy he underwent in March to treat inflammation. His last game appearance was on February 21st this year.

Even during the early season games when Williams was out, Yang Hansen didn’t receive much playing time. Head coach Chauncey Billups said Hansen still needs patience to learn and adapt to the league and is not yet ready for extended minutes. He described Hansen’s development as “a marathon,” and the Trail Blazers’ effective small-ball lineups have further limited Hansen’s minutes.

Another center, Reis, performed well against the Jazz, which also reduced Hansen’s playing opportunities. The team currently has four centers: Klingen, Williams, Yang Hansen, and Reis. A healthy Williams clearly ranks ahead of Hansen in competitiveness, so it’s understandable if coach decides not to play Hansen (DNP) at this time. In this game, the Trail Blazers face the Nuggets, making it unlikely that Hansen will get time matched up against Jokic.

As most people believe, the realistic opportunity for Hansen right now is the upcoming G League season, where he is expected to gain ample playing time and use strong performances to earn more rotation minutes in the future.

According to the G League official schedule, the 2025-26 season will start on November 8th Beijing time, exactly one week from now. The Trail Blazers’ affiliate, Rip City Remix, will face the Santa Cruz Warriors in their opening game. Will Yang Hansen appear on the roster for that match? Let’s wait and see.