Yang Hansen hopes to secure a stable spot with the Trail Blazers in the new season: He has bulked up considerably, and pressure is not necessarily a bad thing.

On July 22, Beijing time, Yang Hansen feels the pressure of expectations from domestic fans, who hope he can make a bigger impact in his second NBA season. However, the Trail Blazers center does not see pressure as a negative. In an in-depth interview with Rose Garden Report reporter Haijin, Yang stated that the most demanding voices toward him mostly come from China.

"American fans are more encouraging," he said. "Everyone I meet tells me 'Welcome to Portland' and 'Good luck in the new season.' In China, people all expect me to perform well and push me with higher standards, so the pressure is greater."

Yang Hansen entered the NBA as the 16th overall pick in the first round last year. His rookie season was a period of growth and adjustment. He played in 43 games (1 start), averaging only 7 minutes per game. In that limited playing time, he averaged 2.2 points and 1.5 rebounds, shooting 31% from the field.

According to Haijin's report, Yang Hansen faced criticism from many domestic netizens on social media. Some accused him of being lazy in training and having a bloated physique; many believed that his playing more games in the G League than in the NBA regular season last season was a failure, and some comments claimed he had let down his family and the hopes of his countrymen.

"I'm willing to read those comments," Yang Hansen said. "The strict expectations from everyone back home are essentially because they want me to keep improving—I carry their hopes. I take a more calm and positive attitude toward this. When people take the time to leave comments, their intention is for me to progress on the court."

Yang Hansen is eager to prove his doubters wrong with his performance. "I think it's a good thing," he said. "The pressure is indeed there, buteveryone faces pressure, and having pressure is not a bad thing."

Yang Hansen played in four Summer League games, showing improvement. He averaged 24 minutes per game, posting 13.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 blocks. However, his turnover issue remained prominent, averaging 4.2 turnovers per game.

Yang Hansen's physical condition has improved significantly. "I feel much better," he said. "My movement speed is faster, and my pick-and-roll defense and rebounding ability have improved noticeably.Basketball is a physical sport, and I have gotten much stronger."

He has a good impression of new head coach Micah Nori: "He's an excellent coach who promotes team basketball and emphasizes details in training. I'm really looking forward to playing for him in official games."

He looks forward to playing with Damian Lillard, who is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon suffered last season: "It will be easy to play with him. He's a great shooter, and I just need to set solid screens for him."

Last season, he frequently traveled between the Trail Blazers' main team and their G League affiliate, the Rip City Remix. This season, he hopes to secure a stable spot on the NBA roster."Constantly going back and forth between the G League and the Trail Blazers—sometimes having to catch early flights—was a tough process," Yang Hansen said.