Is Yang Hansen suitable for the Lakers? Draft experts explain the degree of offense and defense matching in detail: His talent is worth investing in

On May 27, draft expert Ben Pfeifer wrote an article about Chinese player Yang Hansen to discuss the topic of his adaptability with the Lakers. The following is Ben's point of view -

During the entire NBA offseason, few teams have more urgent needs for centers than the Lakers. The operation of using Anthony Davis to exchange Luca Doncic before the trade deadline has aroused widespread cheers, but this has also caused the Lakers to lose a reliable enough center rotation in 2025.

Although Doncic's trade will almost certainly bring huge returns in the future, Davis' departure left an equally huge loophole in the frontcourt. After Mark Williams's trade failed, the Lakers relied on Hayes as the starting center, and they also used players such as Khloco, Jamison and Ryan.

The Lakers lost to the Timberwolves 1-4 in the first round series. Gobert, Randle and Reed suppressed the Lakers' inside line on both offense and defense, while head coach Redick can only use a lineup without traditional big men.

The Lakers will look for centers through free agent markets, trades and drafts this offseason. However, before the deal, they only had the No. 55 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. It is difficult to find influential players in such a back-end position in the draft, but there are also many players who can have a huge impact in the end of the second round.

Potential inside player Yang Hansen from China may provide solutions for the Lakers through the draft. He performed well in the CBA this season, averaging 16.2 points, 10 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.7 blocks per game, ranking third in the team in playing time.

Although his performance overseas has attracted the attention of some draft scouts, his real rise began with the NBA draft joint trial. Yang Hansen's body size meets NBA standards: barefoot height is 7 feet 1 inch (about 2 meters 16), weighs 253 pounds (about 115 kg), and has a wingspan of 7 feet 6 inch (about 2 meters 29). Although his physical condition still has room for improvement, his size can already match most professional centers.

Generally speaking, the core of the draft is to find the stars and choose the most talented players. But as the draft progresses, the team will increasingly consider the adaptability of players and lineups. Each team will always think about how players match the team's core, and the Lakers will of course make such considerations around Doncic.

Big men who are good at pick-and-roll down and empty-joint endings often have good chemical reactions with Doncic. Doncic has allowed Lefley, Gafford, Dwight Powell and McGee to maximize their value. When Hayes partnered with Doncic this season, he has achieved extremely high efficiency with his ability to finish in the air, and to some extent he belongs to this type.

Yang Hansen's main feature is not a pick-and-roll down center, but a single scorer behind the scenes. He is a skilled inside scorer who undertakes significant scoring tasks, but this usage may drop in the NBA. If the Lakers aim at Hansen Yang, they must believe that he can be a pick-and-roll threat by Doncic and James. As a real seven-foot-long man, Yang Hansen's extremely advantageous standing height (9 feet 3 inches, about 2 meters 82) has the value of being on the way, and with excellent footsteps and feel, this advantage is further enhanced. But his limited vertical explosiveness and unstable hand control may be limited when facing NBA-level defense.

When the defense uses squat pit defense against Doncic, Yang Hansen, who is simply a threat to the downwards, may encounter trouble in the early stage. He is better at using his skills and reading skills to disintegrate defense in short pick-and-rolls. When the defense doubles the ball to hit Doncic or James, Yang Hansen has enough ability to handle the ball and can complete scores or passes in the space.

However, the Lakers value Yang Hansen more than just his adaptability to Doncic - although this is important. He hit 60.4% in his real shots on low posts, and he performed well as a scorer and organizer. This passing ability helped him transform from a low post-centered role to an offensive hub, which has been shown in the NBA joint trial matchup.

Like most tall centers, scouts carefully examine his defensive adaptability. Yang Hansen has a blocking rate of 7.1% this season, and is an excellent basket protector. His size and wingspan help him pose a threat at the basket and demonstrate excellent timing and responsiveness when interfering with shooting.

His footstep speed and movement ability will be the key to adapting to the NBA. Although he has made progress in this regard, there is still a long way to go to be a defender who can fight against NBA athletes in space defense. Yang Hansen can gain a foothold in the squat pit defense, but when he is the main rim protector, can the team execute other defensive strategies?

We have seen Redick design creative defensive tactics for the Lakers to maximize the player's advantage, and the increasingly popular double tower lineup may be beneficial to Yang Hansen's future development. Given that Redick has been able to creatively solve problems most of the season with insufficient roster talent, we have reason to believe that he has the ability to maximize the roster configuration.

However, in addition to fully exploring the adaptability of Yang Hansen to the Lakers, the Lakers must first choose him in the draft. Their only 2025 draft pick is the No. 55 pick, which is at the end of the second round. Yang Hansen's outstanding performance in the NBA joint trial has put him above that pick on most draft predictions, meaning he may be beyond the Lakers' draft range.

If the Lakers aim at Yang Hansen, they may need to trade the draft pick up. Upward trading is always accompanied by risks, and the Lakers must have full confidence in Yang Hansen, but the cost of swaps for the second round of picks may be lower. Yang Hansen's current upward momentum may make him selected by other teams earlier than expected.

International players selected in the second round usually have difficulty gaining a foothold in the NBA and often return to overseas (or stay directly overseas). Yang Hansen may join this group, but his talent is worth investing in at some point. If teams like the Lakers bet on their size, scoring skills, passing ability and defensive potential, Yang Hansen may find a long-term home in the NBA.