Sports Illustrated: Yang Hanshen can build on his rookie game momentum, but the Trail Blazers need to give him a chance.

On February 17th Beijing time, Sports Illustrated published an article about Yang Hanshen, pointing out that "Yang Hanshen can advance further using the momentum from the rookie game, but the Trail Blazers must give him opportunities." The full content is as follows—

Yang Hanshen took part in the Rookie Challenge, earning the opportunity to demonstrate his abilities during the All-Star Weekend. He truly seized this chance—although his team did not win the opening game, CBS Sports reporter Salerno still named him one of the winners of the Rookie Challenge.

"One of the standout players in the first semifinal that evening was Yang Hanshen. The 16th pick in the 2025 NBA draft came off the bench for the Austin team coached by Rivers and scored 10 points. Given that Yang has only averaged 7.5 minutes per game for the Trail Blazers this season, this performance could serve as a major confidence boost for the second half of his season," Salerno wrote.

For most players participating in the All-Star Weekend, it is more of a showcase stage than an opportunity to improve their skills. But for players like Yang Hanshen, who have limited playing time this season, it is a valuable chance to compete alongside the league’s top young stars and build confidence. He succeeded, and this could help him earn more chances with the Trail Blazers in the future.

Unfortunately, Yang Hanshen’s situation with the Trail Blazers is constrained by the current team roster. Despite the team’s high expectations for him and even trading up in the draft to acquire him, he faces tough competition in the frontcourt from second-year player Klingen, who has made significant progress.

Considering Klingen was a first-round pick in 2024, many thought Yang Hanshen’s fit with the Trail Blazers was somewhat unusual, and his rookie season has confirmed this impression.

Perhaps both Yang Hanshen and Klingen can be part of the team’s long-term plans. But for now, Klingen will get priority opportunities, and unless his performance declines significantly, the main rotation spot will belong to him. This could limit Yang Hanshen’s playing time with the Trail Blazers for the coming years.

Yang Hanshen and the Trail Blazers will return to the court this Saturday Beijing time to face the Denver Nuggets led by Jokic. Previously, Yang mentioned in an interview that he couldn’t wait to meet his idol Jokic, who responded in an interview that he would give Yang a hug.