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Rookie center Yang Hansen will experience his first G League stint. The Portland Trail Blazers recently assigned the 7-foot-2 rookie to the Rip City Remix, the club’s affiliate, to secure extra practice time and targeted development work. Hansen has seen spot duty through the first five games before sitting out October 31’s 109-107 victory over the Denver Nuggets. He opened the season in the backup-center rotation but has struggled to make an impact in limited run, averaging 1.8 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.4 blocks in 5.8 minutes per game. He’s shown flashes of what made him a prized draft pick by the Blazers, but also a rawness that may require more time to develop. Rotation Tightens With Robert Williams III Back Friday also marked the long-awaited season debut of Robert Williams III, who immediately absorbed the reserve center minutes that previously went to Hansen. The veteran’s return raises the bar for frontcourt minutes and gives Portland a proven rim protector and vertical threat behind the starter. As that happens, the organization is prioritizing structured practice time for Hansen – time that is scarce during the regular season. Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter urged patience, framing Hansen’s development as a months-long process rather than a week-to-week referendum. “I told him from the beginning this is a marathon,” Splitter told The Oregonian’s Joe Freeman. “This is not (about) one game, five games, 10 games. You’ve got to be patient. You’re going to learn how this game goes. And so far we could throw him out there in some minutes and get some experience. As a rookie, you want minutes, you want to play, you want to show, but you’ve also got to be careful. That patience (has) got to be there.” Why G League Reps Matter for Hansen The G League offers controlled reps that mirror NBA sets, allowing Hansen to drill coverages, screen angles and timing in Portland’s system. For a 7-foot-2 rookie adjusting to NBA speed and physicality, that repetition can accelerate reads on both ends while providing extended stretches he hasn’t seen in the league yet. The plan, according to Freeman, is flexible. If Hansen’s NBA minutes remain limited, expect periodic back-and-forth travel between the Blazers and Remix to stack practice sessions and game minutes without sacrificing Portland’s depth. That approach has become common across the NBA as teams protect development time while managing injuries and the dense schedule. What’s Next Portland remains bullish on Hansen’s long-term upside, citing size, touch around the rim and a developing feel for defensive rotations. With Williams III active, Hansen’s role will be more situational in the short term, but the organization sees value in hard minutes in the G League paired with daily work with the Blazers’ staff. That role, of course, could change at any point in time as Williams III’s health has been a constant variable during his time in Portland. If the assignment unfolds as expected, Hansen should return to the NBA roster early next week, with the possibility of additional Remix stints as the season settles in.
