China's Yang Hansen announced himself to the NBA in a more persuasive fashion on Friday, registering 16 points, four rebounds, three blocks and an assist in 17 minutes, as the Portland Trail Blazers edged the Sacramento Kings 124‑123 at home in a preseason squeaker.

After a quiet debut two nights earlier against the Golden State Warriors, four points and four rebounds in 21 minutes in a 129‑123 loss, this outing felt like a rebuttal. Yang went 5‑for‑8 from the floor and drilled a pair of three-pointers, switching fluently between perimeter spacing and timely cuts to the rim.

What stood out wasn't just the scoring line, but the versatility.

The 20‑year‑old, who went to Portland after being taken with the 16th overall pick in the 2025 draft, put himself in the right spots, showed a willingness to stretch the floor and didn't shy away from mixing it up inside, the kind of multi‑dimensional toolkit modern centers must possess. That blend of skills helps explain why the Trail Blazers acquired him in the first round.

Portland is actively constructing a youthful core – Deni Avdija, Shaedon Sharpe, Donovan Clingan and now Yang – surrounded by veterans like Jrue Holiday, Jerami Grant and, upon eventually returning from Achilles surgery, Damian Lillard.

If the snapshot from this contest is any guide, Yang may well be the sort of developmental project that benefits most from that balance – enough runway to grow, and enough experience around him to keep the experiments from becoming expensive lessons.