Rowe returns, Yang Hansen misses the opportunity to compete with his idol Jokic, and he can better adapt to the development league

[Lowe returned and Yang Hansen missed the opportunity to compete with his idol Jokic]

On November 1, the Trail Blazers played this season's NBA Cup game against the Nuggets, and they ended up winning 109 to 107. In this game, the previously injured insider Robert Williams returned. His appearance obviously further reduced the limited playing time of Chinese player Yang Hansen. Xiao Yang failed to get playing time in this game, and he also regretfully missed the precious opportunity to compete with his idol Jokic. With Lowe's comeback, Yang Hansen is likely to be transferred to the Development League by the team for training.

The Blazers' reserve at the center position is Klingen, the No. 7 pick in 2024. He has secured the starting center position this season. Yang Hansen, the 16th pick this year, has been Klingen's substitute before. He usually plays in the second half of the first quarter. It's just that Xiao Yang has failed to seize the opportunity in recent games, and his performance has not stabilized his position in the interior. The third center, Reese, fell out of the rotation at the beginning of the season, but when he played against the Jazz, he performed well and improved the team's position. Lowe had surgery this summer and has been recovering since then, but returned to action on the 1st.

In the game between the Trail Blazers and the Nuggets on the 1st, due to Lowe's return, Yang Hansen did not get a chance to play. Rowe and Reese are in average condition, but they are more in line with the team's needs in terms of defense and rebounding. More importantly, they are more suitable for the team's game rhythm. Lowe played 11 minutes, 4 points and 4 rebounds.

In addition, the Trail Blazers currently rely more on the performance of small lineups, and the overall offensive and defensive performance of small lineups on the court is also good enough. In the final moments of the game, the Trail Blazers' two strikers were Kamara and Grant, and they played a crucial role. Kamara, who is good at defense, successfully blocked the opponent's layup, and Grant caused the opponent to foul during the countdown. He went to the free throw line and hit all of them, thus helping to seal the victory.

Judging from the current situation, the competition Yang Hansen will face in the short term will be very fierce. Xiao Yang and Reese will compete for the team's third insider. However, even if Yang Hansen can continue to stay in the Trail Blazers, his playing opportunities will be very limited, which is not as valuable as going to the Development League for training.

Since the playing styles and requirements of G League teams and NBA teams are consistent, if Xiao Yang plays in the G League, he will undoubtedly have a lot of court time and opportunities, which will help him better adapt to NBA games.

Text/Beijing Youth Daily reporter Song Xiang