The Houston Rockets fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder in thrilling 2OT fashion to kick off the 2025-26 NBA season. Part of the reason Houston fell short was that its double-big lineup proved to be ineffective. That should concern the Portland Trail Blazers, who have just recently invested consecutive first-round picks in the center position.
In Houston’s loss, Alperen Sengun looked the part of an offensive hub, finishing with 39 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists. Where this double-big experiment came up short was the play of Steven Adams, who finished with just four points in 37 minutes.
In particular, there was a 7.5-minute stretch in the third quarter where Adams got tired and couldn’t effectively rotate over to protect the rim. The double-big lineup is only effective if the Rockets play zone, which doesn’t work if Adams can’t move quickly. That’s problematic for Portland, as the most significant question surrounding Yang Hansen as a prospect was his lack of mobility.
The Blazers already have a Yang Hansen problem
Draft expert Sam Vecenie of The Athletic had Hansen ranked as the No. 48 overall prospect on his big board, with the primary concern stemming from his physical tools.
“Yang has several intriguing skills. Any time a player is this big with elite passing vision and touch around the rim, there’s going to be a lot of intrigue. I worry that it’s going to be hard for Yang to actualize those things in the NBA because of his high-hipped frame, lack of explosiveness and lack of lateral ability,” Vecenie writes.
Vecenie adds that another major question is Hansen’s “defensive translation,” going on to note that he may not be ready to come over to the NBA just yet. We don’t agree with the latter, as Hansen has already proved he’s ready for an immediate role with this play throughout summer league, training camp, and preseason. However, it raises the question of what this immediate role looks like in a crowded Blazers frontcourt.
Donovan Clingan Has improved his conditioning with hopes of playing 30-plus minutes a night. If he and Hansen can’t share the court together, Hansen will have a very limited role, potentially hindering his development and preventing him from reaching his high ceiling.
The Rockets-Blazers comparison isn’t perfect by any means, especially since few centers in the league can replicate Sengun’s unique skillset and Adams’ brute strength. However, where there are similarities lies in the weaknesses of each duo, as their overall lack of mobility isn’t an ideal fit in the modern NBA. It’s challenging to win in today’s league if you are losing the battle out on the perimeter. It’s a reality that recently exposed the Rockets and could now give the Blazers a similar disadvantage before Hansen even makes his NBA debut.
Source link
