7-foot-1 Chinese center Hansen Yang is the best prospect out of China since Yao Ming but he has been flying under the radar and not getting the love he deserves. Most mock drafts have him as a second rounder and some mocks don’t have him listed at all. That’s about to change.
During this weeks NBA Draft Combine Yang has been one of the standout performers. He has impressed NBA scouts with his high level feel for the game, his immense size and his touch around the rim.
With his great showing in Chicago this week Yang has risen up draft boards and is generating a lot of buzz. I now have him mocked as a first rounder in my most recent mock draft (no.29) and there’s a chance he continues to rise as the draft process continues.
While Yang still has a lot of work to do on his mobility and conditioning, we’ve seen in recent years that there is plenty of room in the NBA for big, highly skilled centers who lack ideal speed. In fact, the best player in the world matches that description.
At 7-foot-1 without shoes on, and a solid 253lbs, Yang is big, even by NBA standards. He’s not quite as big as Zach Edey but is a bit quicker and a much more advanced passer than Edey. And he’s still only 19 years old (turns 20 in June).
Whichever team drafts Yang will have to be patient with him. He’s still learning the American game, doesn’t yet speak English, and has to improve his strength and conditioning. But all of these things will come in time and the wait could be well worth it.
We saw Yang put up impressive numbers in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) as a teenager this past year. Now his next challenge is bringing his talents to the NBA and continuing to develop his game. This week in Chicago has shown that he has plenty of talent and a lot of game already and the sky seems to be the limit.
Here are some highlights from Yang’s time in Chicago: