Event With the 16th pick, Blazers have selected Hansen Yang (3 Viewers)

[SharpesTriumph]

All of those teams had better talent than we do.

Yes, if you don't get extremely lucky or have any other assets you need to tank longer than 3 or 4 years to give yourself a legit shot at contending.

Of course, if you have the best front office in the league you could probably make enough great trades or find enough diamonds in the rough (including a genius coach) to overcome it.

I'm not convinced we have one of the best front offices in the league. I would love it if they would prove they are though.

I just don't think an NBA team can tank endlessly in a productive way. At a point even if you get an MVP your culture will be so shot your not winning anything. That's why so many #1 overall picks that's won titles didn't do it with the losing team that drafted them.

Blazers tanking for 3-4 years was plenty. If anything I'm concerned it was too much for the development of Scoot/Sharpe/etc. I certainly don't want to see more of it next season.

Could all of Camara/Deni/Scoot/Sharpe/Clingan/Yang/etc all fail to be key players needed on a contending team? Sure, they might not be good enough. Or they might improve and be a solid core that only needs one final big move to contend. I really have no idea. But I think the Blazers should pivot to give them a chance at winning. Deni/Camara proved to me their worth that chance. Scoot Sharpe have ups and downs. I'm super excited we don't have the Ant/Ayton duo in the way any longer.

If the youth doesn't improve as much as many hope we might eventually need to pivot again in 5 years or such and do another full rebuild. That makes more sense to me to do short cycles of trying to build than trying to win, then pivot to a new direction after evaluating results.

Blazers also have built a very nice chest of picks over the next 5 years. We have claims on unprotected picks for 5 years of other franchises. That has to be up there for top5 in the NBA.

Some nearly neverending tank fest just doesn't sound like a sustainable way to build talent. Now for a brief few seasons to add a talent - then sure. But it's not some magic guaranteed be all end all of NBA team success.

 

[Phatguysrule]

I just don't think an NBA team can tank endlessly in a productive way. At a point even if you get an MVP your culture will be so shot your not winning anything. That's why so many #1 overall picks that's won titles didn't do it with the losing team that drafted them.

Blazers tanking for 3-4 years was plenty. If anything I'm concerned it was too much for the development of Scoot/Sharpe/etc. I certainly don't want to see more of it next season.

Could all of Camara/Deni/Scoot/Sharpe/Clingan/Yang/etc all fail to be key players needed on a contending team? Sure, they might not be good enough. Or they might improve and be a solid core that only needs one final big move to contend. I really have no idea. But I think the Blazers should pivot to give them a chance at winning. Deni/Camara proved to me their worth that chance. Scoot Sharpe have ups and downs. I'm super excited we don't have the Ant/Ayton duo in the way any longer.

If the youth doesn't improve as much as many hope we might eventually need to pivot again in 5 years or such and do another full rebuild. That makes more sense to me to do short cycles of trying to build than trying to win, then pivot to a new direction after evaluating results.

Blazers also have built a very nice chest of picks over the next 5 years. We have claims on unprotected picks for 5 years of other franchises. That has to be up there for top5 in the NBA.

Some nearly neverending tank fest just doesn't sound like a sustainable way to build talent. Now for a brief few seasons to add a talent - then sure. But it's not some magic guaranteed be all end all of NBA team success.

I didn't suggest a neverending tank fest.

Blazers tanking 3-4 years was clearly not enough if they aren't in contention for a championship within 5-ish years.

We won't be.

Once again, I would love to be wrong about this.

*Edit* They just didn't tank hard enough or long enough (and didn't get lucky enough). They now have to count on dumb luck. Which I'm hoping we have in spades.

 

[Natebishop3]

I didn't suggest a neverending tank fest.

Blazers tanking 3-4 years was clearly not enough if they aren't contention for a championship within 5-ish years.

We won't be.

Once again, I would love to be wrong about this.

We just had bad luck during that 4 year period. I’m not convinced Amen would have us in contention right now. If the balls had bounced our way we would have Wemby and Flagg. We were one number off in both drafts. That’s the unfortunate reality of the draft these days.

What if we had taken Dyson Daniels instead of Sharpe and Amen instead of Scoot? I don’t think either of them are actually point guards. Our defense would be insane. I still think Sharpe has a higher ceiling than Daniels.

 

[wizenheimer]

Yang finished summer league shooting 7-8 at the free-throw line. 87.5 %

This is an area where a lot of big men struggle. Hopefully Yang can keep it up somewhere around 80% or better.

96 games in the CBA:

 

[SharpesTriumph]

I didn't suggest a neverending tank fest.

Blazers tanking 3-4 years was clearly not enough if they aren't in contention for a championship within 5-ish years.

We won't be.

Once again, I would love to be wrong about this.

*Edit* They just didn't tank hard enough or long enough (and didn't get lucky enough). They now have to count on dumb luck. Which I'm hoping we have in spades.

I mean I agree that the Blazers should have committed much harder to rebuilding. All the stupid contracts they gave middling vets was pointless.

But by half way through last season that was kind of a sunk cost. We're well past that bridge.

Now the plan should be to win.

I will say that making good NBA roster moves is more like batting in baseball than hitting free throws. You don't need to convert 80%. Baseball 30% is a success. So more like one key player every other year and your doing great.

Deni Camara were great acquisitions. Clingan seems solid.

Will Yang/Scoot/Sharpe be one more?

Yeah the Blazers didn't get the ideal draft haul we might have dreamed of from 4 draft. Yes they didn't use their salary cap well.

But the Dame haul and all related transactions was a masterpiece.

A lot to be optimistic for but also need some other big changes. That's how most the league is. Most the contenders were at a similar spot at one point as well. OKC did much better - but their very unique.

 

[Phatguysrule]

We just had bad luck during that 4 year period. I’m not convinced Amen would have us in contention right now. If the balls had bounced our way we would have Wemby and Flagg. We were one number off in both drafts. That’s the unfortunate reality of the draft these days.

What if we had taken Dyson Daniels instead of Sharpe and Amen instead of Scoot? I don’t think either of them are actually point guards. Our defense would be insane. I still think Sharpe has a higher ceiling than Daniels.

And that is expected to happen. The thing is, there are always teams who think they can succeed where we fail with those guys. So even if we were to fail with them we could trade them for good value to round out the roster once we do land the guy(s) we believe to be legit.

Even if you fail five or six times you still have five or six valuable assets that you can trade for more sure things.

It's simply a way to gather good assets. If you make good deals with those assets you can put yourself in position to contend.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

And that is expected to happen. The thing is, there are always teams who think they can succeed where we fail with those guys. So even if we were to fail with them we could trade them for good value to round out the roster once we do land the guy(s) we believe to be legit.

Even if you fail five or six times you still have five or six valuable assets that you can trade for more sure things.

It's simply a way to gather good assets. If you make good deals with those assets you can put yourself in position to contend.

So like the trade haul Marvin Bagley and Markelle Fultz fetched?

 

[Phatguysrule]

I mean I agree that the Blazers should have committed much harder to rebuilding. All the stupid contracts they gave middling vets was pointless.

But by half way through last season that was kind of a sunk cost. We're well past that bridge.

Now the plan should be to win.

I will say that making good NBA roster moves is more like batting in baseball than hitting free throws. You don't need to convert 80%. Baseball 30% is a success. So more like one key player every other year and your doing great.

Deni Camara were great acquisitions. Clingan seems solid.

Will Yang/Scoot/Sharpe be one more?

Yeah the Blazers didn't get the ideal draft haul we might have dreamed of from 4 draft. Yes they didn't use their salary cap well.

But the Dame haul and all related transactions was a masterpiece.

A lot to be optimistic for but also need some other big changes. That's how most the league is. Most the contenders were at a similar spot at one point as well. OKC did much better - but their very unique.

Yeah, I don't disagree with any of that. I just don't have much hope that they're going to actually contend with this group. We are now just kind of waiting until they sell the team and the next owner tears this group down and rebuilds again, IMO.

 

[Phatguysrule]

So like the trade haul Marvin Bagley and Markelle Fultz fetched?

More like Sebastian Telfair, ideally... Maybe Grayson Allen for Camara...

 

[SharpesTriumph]

More like Sebastian Telfair, ideally... Maybe Grayson Allen for Camara...

Grayson was the 21 pick. Telfair 13. I thought you were saying why teams should try to collect high lottery picks.

 

[KingSpeed]

I didn't suggest a neverending tank fest.

Blazers tanking 3-4 years was clearly not enough if they aren't in contention for a championship within 5-ish years.

We won't be.

Once again, I would love to be wrong about this.

*Edit* They just didn't tank hard enough or long enough (and didn't get lucky enough). They now have to count on dumb luck. Which I'm hoping we have in spades.

We actually didn’t win ENOUGH games last year. 4 more wins and we would’ve gotten Flagg.

 

[Phatguysrule]

Grayson was the 21 pick. Telfair 13. I thought you were saying why teams should try to collect high lottery picks.

You try to collect high lottery picks because they are more likely to turn into stars, not so you can trade them.

There will be some who will "fail", or who you decide not to keep (again, this is less likely the earlier you draft). But even those you decide not to keep are good assets because you can trade them.

 

[Phatguysrule]

We actually didn’t win ENOUGH games last year. 4 more wins and we would’ve gotten Flagg.

My goal was never to get Flagg. That would have been a nice surprise, but I would have never counted on it, just like I would never count on winning at the casino (or Keno, or Powerball).

The statistics tell us it is highly unlikely.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

You try to collect high lottery picks because they are more likely to turn into stars, not so you can trade them.

There will be some who will fail (again, this is less likely the earlier you draft). But even those you decide not to keep are good assets because you can trade them.

Most high lottery picks actually do fail. It's just lower picks fail even more often.

Fultz was #1 overall and Bagley #2 - I never heard anyone consider them good trade assets.

 

[Phatguysrule]

Most high lottery picks actually do fail. It's just lower picks fail even more often.

Fultz was #1 overall and Bagley #2 - I never heard anyone consider them good trade assets.

If we drafted both of them that would have been a fail. That's also not a likely scenario.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

If we drafted both of them that would have been a fail. That's also not a likely scenario.

They were different years so entirely possible.

But look at seven straight years of #1 overall picks last decade. Put all of these guys on one team and they wouldn't have won squat.

Zion
Ayton
Fultz
Simmons
KAT
Wiggins
Bennett

 

[Phatguysrule]

They were different years so entirely possible.

But look at seven straight years of #1 overall picks last decade. Put all of these guys on one team and they wouldn't have won squat.

Zion
Ayton
Fultz
Simmons
KAT
Wiggins
Bennett

But what were those guys traded for? What could they have been traded for?

You could have gotten an absolute haul at a certain point from any of Zion, Ayton, Simmons, KAT, or Wiggins (is Butler a haul?).

 

[SharpesTriumph]

But what were those guys traded for? What could they have been traded for?

You could have gotten an absolute haul at a certain point from any of Zion, Ayton, Simmons, KAT, or Wiggins (is Butler a haul?).

Wiggins was traded for DeAngelo Russell.

I guess the best was probably Simmons for a fat old expensive Harden?

Ayton for Nurk and Grayson Allen?

Bennett I think was just cut.

I'm not seeing a haul.

 

[Phatguysrule]

Wiggins was traded for DeAngelo Russell.

I guess the best was probably Simmons for a fat old expensive Harden?

Ayton for Nurk and Grayson Allen?

Bennett I think was just cut.

I'm not seeing a haul.

Wiggins was traded for Jimmy Butler... Ayton could have fetched a boatload his first couple seasons.

Obviously Zion could have gotten a haul at any point.

If you don't see the value in those players at certain points then I don't know what to say... Other than you're trying not to.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Wiggins was traded for Jimmy Butler... Ayton could have fetched a boatload his first couple seasons.

Obviously Zion could have gotten a haul at any point.

If you don't see the value in those players at certain points then I don't know what to say... Other than you're trying not to.

Wiggins first team the Timberwolves traded him for DeAnglo Russell. We were discussing teams getting lottery picks.

Yeah of course the #1 pick has value at points in time. But ultimately you have 7 CONSECUTIVE years of examples there of those guys that have been irrelevant to leading a contender.

That was my point, that even 7 years of #1 overall picks wouldn't get a team to a title. Even if you put them all on one team.

I also disagree with your notion that top lottery picks can be flipped for value when they flop. We've seen many examples where they're not.

NBA draft picks are like a new car. Drive it off the lot and it immediately losses a third the value. That's why we see so many trades the day of the draft. But hardly any for years afterwards.

Now I do think draft picks and lottery picks can be an extremely valuable tool to build a contender. But it's just one of many needed tools. It's not the sole critical tool as many of your posts indicate.

 

[Natebishop3]

They were different years so entirely possible.

But look at seven straight years of #1 overall picks last decade. Put all of these guys on one team and they wouldn't have won squat.

Zion
Ayton
Fultz
Simmons
KAT
Wiggins
Bennett

That would be an interesting starting unit though.....

Simmons
Fultz
Wiggins
Zion
KAT

You have some good shooting in KAT and Wiggins. You have good passing with Simmons. Zion would be amazing for like 30 games. Fultz would be your biggest issue..... and health.

 

[Phatguysrule]

Wiggins first team the Timberwolves traded him for DeAnglo Russell.

Yeah of course the #1 pick has value at points in time. But ultimately you have 7 years of thosr guys that have been irrelevant.

That was my point, that even 7 years of #1 overall picks wouldn't get a team to a title.

I also disagree with your notion that top lottery picks can be flipped for value when they flop. We've seen many examples where they're not.

NBA draft picks are like a new car. Drive it off the lot and it immediately losses a third the value. That's why we see so many trades the day of the draft. But hardly any for years afterwards.

That's fine. We can agree to disagree.

When this group is in a championship game you can remind me how right you were.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

That's fine. We can agree to disagree.

When this group is in a championship game you can remind me how right you were.

So you get the field of 29 teams and I get 1?

What's one example of a team tanking for more than 4 years and contending as you often post the Blazers should do?

OKC only tanked two seasons so no they don't count.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

That would be an interesting starting unit though.....

Simmons
Fultz
Wiggins
Zion
KAT

You have some good shooting in KAT and Wiggins. You have good passing with Simmons. Zion would be amazing for like 30 games. Fultz would be your biggest issue..... and health.

It would have been crazy exciting around the drafts and with the hype but eventually back in reality:

Two are nearly out of the league (Ben & Fultz)
One is best as a backup in Wiggins
One is perpetually injured and poor defensively
One is equally poor defensively but probably the best by default.

All are super overpaid so that roster wouldn't have any other talent.

If anything those #1 picks seem like a curse as players get max deals even with major flaws.

 

[crandc]

Washington Post reports Yang biggest star of Summer League and not just physically.

 

[Phatguysrule]

So you get the field of 29 teams and I get 1?

What's one example of a team tanking for more than 4 years and contending as you often post the Blazers should do?

OKC only tanked two seasons so no they don't count.

OKC had a ton of picks from trades. If we had that we could probably get away with a short tank as well.

But they were built through the draft.

Philadelphia was built through the draft. Boston was built through the draft. Golden State was built through the draft.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

G1: +19
G2: +5
G3: +2
G4: +19
G5: DNP, Blazers lost by 24

• Positive +/- in every game he played, more than passed the eye test, too.
• I wished he filled up the boxscore a little more, but he really played facilitator.
• He struggled a few times, which I loved. His opponents made it clear what he needs to work on.
• Overcame language barrier, and SERIOUS pressure:
  • From the Washington Post article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/07/20/yang-hansen-trail-blazers-nba/
  • "Back in China, 5.2 million people watched Tencent’s free broadcast of the Blazers’ exhibition against the Memphis Grizzlies, according to an NBA official, dwarfing the 1.1 million Americans who watched No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg’s debut for the Dallas Mavericks on ESPN. On Tencent’s paywalled service, one of Yang’s games drew 3.4 million viewers — 16 times the service’s average. And on China Central Television, Yang’s summer league games garnered larger average audiences than the national broadcast network’s telecasts of this year’s NBA playoffs." (emphasis mine)

 

[SharpesTriumph]

G1: +19
G2: +5
G3: +2
G4: +19
G5: DNP, Blazers lost by 24

• Positive +/- in every game he played, more than passed the eye test, too.
• I wished he filled up the boxscore a little more, but he really played facilitator.
• He struggled a few times, which I loved. His opponents made it clear what he needs to work on.
• Overcame language barrier, and SERIOUS pressure:
  • From the Washington Post article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/07/20/yang-hansen-trail-blazers-nba/
  • "Back in China, 5.2 million people watched Tencent’s free broadcast of the Blazers’ exhibition against the Memphis Grizzlies, according to an NBA official, dwarfing the 1.1 million Americans who watched No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg’s debut for the Dallas Mavericks on ESPN. On Tencent’s paywalled service, one of Yang’s games drew 3.4 million viewers — 16 times the service’s average. And on China Central Television, Yang’s summer league games garnered larger average audiences than the national broadcast network’s telecasts of this year’s NBA playoffs." (emphasis mine)

I hadn't heard that stat of Yang summer league surpassing playoff games. That's nuts!

 

[TYDame]

If ever Yang got the start, Make Mason should be ready for that Mandarin Intro - We got one from Belgium, One from Israel and Now one from China. Mark Mason will be very busy

 

[inconceivable]

If ever Yang got the start, Make Mason should be ready for that Mandarin Intro - We got one from Belgium, One from Israel and Now one from China. Mark Mason will be very busy

Now imagine Rupert starts with them