Eagle Yang's reputation soars after US tryouts

A virtual unknown before the draft combine, China's NBA prospect Yang Hansen has introduced himself, big time, to league scouts, with his impressive outing at the trial camp turning heads.

Dubbed "baby Jokic" by his Chinese fans, Yang has finally put his intriguing blend of size, skills and basketball IQ on display for club executives in the NBA, after the 19-year-old center, a fan of three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, completed last week's Draft Combine in Chicago with flying colors.

After being scrutinized in a series of physical tests, skill drills, interviews and five-on-five scrimmages at the combine event, Yang has significantly raised his draft stock, according to multiple United States media platforms and draft analysts, with the young pro having emerged as a potential first-round pick, from his projected mid-second round slot before the tryout.

At the combine, which gathered 75 top prospects from the US collegiate system, the G-League and overseas programs, Yang measured solidly.

He stands at a towering 7-foot-1(2.16-meters) without shoes (2nd overall), posting a 9-foot-3 standing reach (fourth overall). He also ranked fifth among all the centers in the shuttle run, lane agility and three-quarter sprint at the event, showing excellent mobility and coordination for a post player of his stature.

Through a total 37 minutes from two scrimmages, Yang showed off his size and all-around game for the first time under the watchful eyes of NBA franchise scouts and front-office staff, after honing his game for two years playing in the CBA with the Qingdao Eagles.

Despite his current weaknesses in conditioning, strength and speed in defensive rotations, Yang contributed 12 points, on 5-for-7 shooting, and two assists in his first scrimmage, and backed it up with another 11 points on 75 percent shooting, six assists and six rebounds in the second.

He certainly stood out, to say the least.

"No matter Yang's short-term future, it's clear he improved his standing while in Chicago, and is now firmly on NBA radars, even if he still has work to do on his game," ESPN basketball insider Jonathan Givony wrote in his draft analysis.

Another ESPN pundit Jeremy Woo agreed, saying that the scrimmages really worked well to enhance Yang's draft prospects.

"Overall, Yang looked like he belonged at the combine, and held his own against an experienced, physical opponent in Michigan's Vlad Goldin, exceeding expectations for many who were unfamiliar with him coming in," Woo wrote in his analysis.

After watching Yang's performance in Chicago, Derek Parker, a Draft Digest staff writer with Sports Illustrated, listed the young Chinese national team member as one of the surprises of the combine camp.

And he believes Yang is still just scratching the surface of his huge potential as an all-rounder.

"Yang likely won't be able to avoid G-League time if drafted, given how high the skill jump to the NBA will be, and certain negatives like conditioning and foot speed," Parker wrote.

"But, there's a very real chance that, with his feel for the game — and most notably his high passing prowess for a big man — that he could play NBA minutes down the road.

"Should any singular team fall in love with his skill set as a potential passing hub with scoring and defensive upside, he could very well earn first-round buzz at this year's draft."

Yang's relatively stronger-than-expected performance at the combine event, however, should be kept in perspective, with most projected lottery picks, such as toppick favorite Cooper Flagg of Duke, sitting out all the scrimmages.

The humble youngster seems to have dealt all the hype and buzz with a cool head.

"The small exam has been done. It went quite smoothly overall," Yang posted on his social media account on Sunday.

"I appreciate all the encouragement and support. Yet, I should face the gap between myself at the moment, and the highest level, with an objective eye. Whatever result it brings, each step counts on the journey," said Yang, who will turn 20 on June 26 — the night of the draft in Brooklyn, New York.

Developed in Qingdao's youth system, Yang first garnered international attention when he led China to a third-place finish at the FIBA U18 Asian Championship in 2022.

He then tallied 12.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists and a tournament-leading 5 blocks at the U19 World Cup in Hungary, where he was named on the youth tourney's All-Second Team.

In only his second professional season in the CBA, Yang has averaged 16.6 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2.6 blocks per game in 45 starts with the Qingdao Eagles in the 2024-25 regular season, before leading the No 8 seed into quarterfinals of the playoffs, where Qingdao was narrowly edged out 3-2 by the league-leading Zhejiang Lions in the best-of-five series last month.

Having been selected into the All-CBA first team in his first two seasons, Yang's untapped potential, despite being relatively unknown to fans abroad, became evident in the US when Klutch Sports Group, a sports agency founded by LeBron James' business partner Rich Paul, signed him in January.

Yang met Paul right after arriving in Los Angeles earlier this month for the Draft Combine, and will continue attending tryouts after being invited by a growing list of NBA franchises, according to Klutch Sports Group.