Yang Hansen s draft pick soared! Entering the top 20, can the Lakers?

US media NBA Draft Room updated the strength list of the 2025 draft today, and Chinese player Yang Hansen has reached 20th place!

Draft Room graded this draft, the first level is the Superstar-the cornerstone level of team building, with only Flag. The second-level best-ranking potential player, the third-level All-Star level player, the fourth-level high-level starter-potent All-Star potential player, Yang Hansen was placed in the fifth level, the starter-the player with stable rotation potential.

Draft Room predicts that Yang Hansen will be selected at the 20th pick in the first round and gives an evaluation: Yang Hansen has performed extremely well in recent years. He has further confirmed this after competing with NBA players in the same field. This kid is indeed a talent. For a young big man, his technical level is very good and his passing talent is extraordinary, but he needs to work harder in physical fitness training. He looks like he can become a reliable substitute insider at the beginning of his career and has the opportunity to develop into an excellent starting center.

Yang's draft pick continues to soar, and ClutchPoints posted a picture with the caption: Will Yang Hansen, the former CBA's best defensive player of the year, join the Lakers?

Yang Hansen, who is expected to be selected in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft, may not become the headline draft pick, but he may be a piece of unconventional jade.

This 7-foot-2-inch (about 2.18 meters) Chinese center has an elite-level wingspan, timing ability and unexplored ceiling, perfectly fits the Los Angeles Lakers' needs for body size and future development.

Yang Hansen is not fully mature yet, but you can't get 7-foot-2 inches in training and a positive game attitude. He can run, block shots, and has shown some skills that may shine under the guidance of coaches at the NBA level.

He brought the Lakers the defensive deterrence that is urgently needed by Luca Doncic or behind him, and he has the potential to become an influential player as long as he is properly trained.

When fans are focusing on those big-name stars, the Lakers may find a second round treasure. If Yang Hansen and the South Bay Lakers were allowed to train him as a real rotation player, guardian of the penalty area, alley threats, and a vibrant big man.

The second round draft is where the dynasty team quietly replenish their strength. If the Lakers choose Yang Hansen, this kid might be special.

Yang Hansen has been jointly trial training, and more and more NBA scouts have noticed this big man from China. The nbadraftroom website even said that Yang Hansen is the best young talent in China after Yao Ming, but has not entered the vision of many NBA teams. Yang Hansen's draft market has risen to the 20th pick in the first round since he was not on the list, and later predicted that he would be selected in the second round.

Of course, the rise in the draft market does not mean that he will be selected in the first round. Yang Hansen also has some of his own shortcomings, such as his lack of speed and agility, such as his unfamiliar with the way of playing American basketball, such as his English communication is not smooth enough, but these can be improved through time. In any case, Yang Hansen has now entered the field of NBA scouts and is no longer a "little stealth".

NBADraft, Yahoo Sports and other institutions predict that their rankings will be concentrated in the second round of 44-47 (Thunder, Bucks, etc.), while NBA Draft Room has become the only media to include it in the first round.

Some scouts are worried that their lateral movement speed is slow and their ability to switch to the outside line may affect the defensive efficiency at the NBA level. In addition, the difference in the intensity of confrontation between CBA and NBA still needs to be further verified through trial training.

There are currently significant differences in the list of media. For example, mainstream media such as ESPN and BR still list them as the middle and late stages of the second round, while NBA Draft Room's first round prediction has not yet reached a consensus. The final pick will depend on the individual trial performance and the actual needs of the team.

If Yang Hansen is finally selected in the first round, he will become the third Chinese player to enter the first round of the NBA after Yao Ming (No. 1 pick in 2002) and Yi Jianlian (No. 6 pick in 2007), and is also the first Chinese player to enter the NBA through the draft since Zhou Qi (43 pick in the second round) in 2016.