Don’t just focus on Yang Hansen! Take stock of the performance of the 14 lottery picks in the 2025 class at the beginning of the season

On November 2, the Trail Blazers officially announced that Yang Hansen will be transferred to the G League affiliate team Tear City Mix for routine training so that he can get more training time. After that, he will return to the team and participate in the game against the Lakers with the Trail Blazers. This season, Yang Hansen may frequently travel between the two teams.

So far, Yang Hansen has played in 5 games, averaging 5.8 minutes per game, scoring only 1.8 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.4 blocks. He made a total of 2 of 9 shots, a field goal percentage of 22.2%, and 0 of 3 three-pointers.

With Robert Williams returning from injury, he took over Young Hansen's previous role as backup center.

Blazers team reporter Freeman said that the Blazers are still confident in Yang Hansen's potential, but like most rookies, the team believes that he needs more practical training to promote growth.

In addition, according to Trail Blazers Chinese team reporter Yovic: The Trail Blazers usually do not have team training on weekends, but the Remix team is holding a new season training camp at the Trail Blazers training facility these days, and Yang Hansen is participating in this. The purpose of delegating Yang Hansen is equivalent to giving him extra training on weekends.

Participating in more training and coming back after competitions is obviously a good thing for Yang Hansen. Yang Hansen should play more now. He needs to play enough times and find a game rhythm that suits him. Sporadic playing time simply cannot do this.

So, don’t regard [Yang Hansen being sent to the Development League] as a negative thing.

Yang Hansen is currently the only Chinese player in the NBA. His performance in every game attracts attention, but you cannot always focus on his performance. Let me take stock of the performance of the 14 first-round lottery picks in the 2025 class.

1. Cooper Flagg (Mavericks)

played in 6 games, averaging 32.5 minutes per game, averaging 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3 assists and 0.8 steals. The shooting percentage was 37.3%, the three-point shooting percentage was 28.6%, and the free throw percentage was 100.0%.

Flagg is regarded as the son of America, and the media speaks very highly of him. Although Flagg was assigned to play point guard by head coach Kidd, he failed to connect the team and performed poorly. He needs more games to adapt to the new role and shooting touch.

2. Dylan Harper (Spurs)

played in 5 games, averaging 25.8 minutes per game, averaging 14.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 0.8 steals. The shooting percentage was 48.2%, the three-point shooting percentage was 35.7%, and the free throw percentage was 81.3%.

Harper's luck control is really too mature, and he has the style of a general. He doesn't look like a rookie, which is why he can step into the sixth man role. There is no doubt that Harper will be the Spurs' answer to the No. 1 position in the future, becoming Wenbanyama's backcourt partner.

3. VJ-Edgecomb (76ers)

played in 5 games, averaging 40.2 minutes per game, averaging 21.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.2 steals. The shooting percentage was 49.4%, the three-point shooting percentage was 43.8%, and the free throw percentage was 80.0%.

A precocious defender who integrates offense and defense. He is very calm on the court and can hit key goals. His mid-range, three-point and passing abilities are all eye-catching, but his defense is the skill that will allow him to grow into an All-Star in the future. He is a player who has a very high chance of winning the Rookie of the Year award.

4. Kang Knipel (Hornets)

played in 6 games, averaging 29.3 minutes per game, scoring 12.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists. The shooting percentage was 44.1%, the three-point shooting percentage was 42.9%, and the free throw percentage was 66.7%.

A very good three-point shooter. With three goals, Kniper is likely to become a high-quality shooter like Klay Thompson.

5. Ace Bailey (Jazz)

played in 5 games, averaging 17 minutes per game, averaging 4.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists. The shooting percentage was 25%, the three-point shooting percentage was 16.7%, and the free throw percentage was 100.0%.

His physical condition was not good at the beginning of the season, and the Jazz did not arrange for him to start. His performance was a bit poor, and he was completely sorry for his talent. Perhaps with the adjustment of the Jazz's strategy, Bailey will be mentioned as a starter and get a lot of opportunities to improve.

6. Trey Johnson (Wizards)

played in 6 games, averaging 26.5 minutes per game, averaging 12.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists. The shooting percentage was 41.2%, the three-point shooting percentage was 34.2%, and the free throw percentage was 100%.

The hope of the Wizards' revival. He plays very calmly and has an excellent shooting touch. He is worthy of being the purest scorer in this year. He is very capable and has the potential to become an All-Star. It can be seen that the Wizards are already focusing on cultivating Trey Johnson.

7. Jeremiah Fells (Pelicans)

played in 5 games, averaging 26.6 minutes per game, averaging 13.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists. The shooting percentage was 46.6%, the three-point shooting percentage was 21.4%, and the free throw percentage was 75%.

A very fast small guard, he is good at breakthroughs after dribbling rhythm, and his finishing at the basket is also good, but he makes few three-pointers and is inaccurate, which may limit his development. Due to his small size, he is still too targeted on the defensive end and may need to increase his core strength in the future.

8. Yegor Jemin (Nets)

played in 4 games, averaging 20.5 minutes per game, averaging 7.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Shooting percentage of 40.9%, three-point shooting percentage of 40.9%, free throw percentage of 75%.

was nicknamed "Reverse Ben Simmons" by fans. He took 22 shots in 4 games, all three-pointers. Being able to shoot 40.9% of the three-pointers shows that he has good outside shooting, but as a tall point guard, he can only shoot three-pointers, which shows that his breakthrough ability is weak. He is probably not suitable for playing the one position.

9. Colin Boyles (Raptors)

played in 4 games, averaging 20.5 minutes per game, 9.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.8 assists. The shooting percentage was 46.7%, the three-point shooting percentage was 60%, and the free throw percentage was 66.7%.

The Raptors' goal this season should be to hit the playoffs. There are still many talents on the front line. Boyles can rely on his athletic ability to earn a position in the rotation, but he needs to maintain his shooting touch.

10. Kaman Maruachi (Suns)

played in 3 games, averaging 6.3 minutes per game, scoring 2.3 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.3 assists. The shooting percentage was 33.3%, the three-point shooting percentage was 0%, and the free throw percentage was 83.3%.

The Suns are also overcrowded at the fifth position. Maluachi's current rotation ranking is behind Mark Williams, Iguodala, and Richards, so there is basically no time. Perhaps we can only wait until the middle of the season, when the Suns make a trade and clear out Richards, so that Maluachi's playing time can be improved.

11. Cedric Coward (Grizzlies)

played in 6 games, averaging 24.7 minutes per game, averaging 15.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals. The shooting percentage was 59.3%, the three-point shooting percentage was 52.4%, and the free throw percentage was 90%.

Coward, as an immediate player, has become an important member of the Grizzlies rotation. His tough style of play is perfect for the Grizzlies. He is tough on defense, accurate in three-pointers, and very mature. He is one of the most surprising players among this rookie class.

12. Noah Essanger (Bulls)

did not get playing time.

The Bulls have won five consecutive games to start the season. The team's starting lineup is stable: Vucevic, Buzelis, Okoro, Jones, Guidi, and the rotation players include Dosunmu, Huerter, Pawei, and Smith. The Bulls basically use these 9 people for rotation. Phillips and Darren Terry only played 7 minutes and 4 minutes. It is normal that the 18-year-old Essanger has no chance.

Esanger has been transferred to the Development League by the Bulls.

13. Derrick Quinn (Pelicans)

played in 5 games, averaging 19.6 minutes per game, 8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 0.8 blocks. The shooting percentage was 43.8%, the three-point shooting percentage was 0%, and the free throw percentage was 75%.

The Pelicans' starting center is Missy. Due to the injury of new aid Looney, Quinn originally got a lot of playing time, but he also suffered injuries. The Pelicans had to sign DeAndre Jordan to fill the vacancy at the fifth position.

14. Carter Bryant (Spurs)

played in 4 games, averaging 7 minutes per game, 1.3 points and 0.8 rebounds. The shooting percentage was 16.7%, the three-point shooting percentage was 33.3%, and the free throw percentage was 100%.

The Spurs have won five games in a row at the beginning of this season. The team's lineup is deep enough. The starting lineup is stable: Vunbanyama, Castle, Vassell, Barnes, and Champany. The substitute lineup includes Harper, Johnson, and Kornet (injured). It is basically an eight-man rotation, so Carter Bryant does not get much time to practice. However, this guy's physical talent is really explosive.

Overall, except for Flagg and Bailey who are in a downturn in the top seven picks, other high-ranking rookies have also received a lot of playing time, and their performance is still very good. However, the rookies below are not so good (i.e., the strength of Coward is an exception). Since the team has record requirements, it cannot provide potential rookies with a lot of training opportunities, so they can only get sporadic playing time.

You really shouldn’t be too hasty in cultivating new talents.

Of course, rookies themselves cannot think this way. They must devote all their energy to training, always be prepared for the team's call, and must seize the opportunity when given. After all, the season is very long, and every team may encounter injuries, load management, etc. By then, whether the rookie's ability is worthy of a rotation depends on how hard he works.