More points to prove

A humbling welcome like this will serve the rookie well, McDaniels said.

"It feels good, but I don't mean no harm. It's just all about basketball and I'll see y'all next time," McDaniels told Chinese broadcaster Tencent after the game.

A little bit of such "bullying" does help, with McDaniels' throw-down further exposing Yang's current weakness on the defensive end, where the physicality, intensity and lightning-fast transition in NBA games is proving a little overwhelming for Yang at the moment.

The agile, 7-foot-1 (2.16-meter) center, who at his best draws comparisons to Denver Nuggets' three-time league MVP Nikola Jokic for his all-around offensive game, seems to still be struggling to meet the NBA's demanding defensive requirements against modern bigs, such as being able to rebound well, protect the rim, while switching fast in rotation to cover unmarked attackers on the perimeter.

Having already learned this the hard way during preseason, where he had to foul 5.3 times per night across four games, Yang promised to continue working on his speed, strength and conditioning and defensive awareness.

"Our vets played tough defense tonight. When I watched them play, I can learn a lot of details from them," said the former Qingdao Eagles starting center.

"I should've had better positioning in defense. I will embrace the experience and improve. Everything is different from the CBA, from the summer league to the preseason, and now the regular season.

"I will take it one step at a time. On the court, or on the bench, I will be ready, cheering for my teammates and making each and every minute count toward improving."

Yang's former head coach with Eagles Liu Weiwei gave the efforts of his young pupil, whose NBA aspirations were carefully nurtured by the CBA club since he was 15, a thumbs-up.

"I think he handled the high-stakes moment just fine," said Liu, who was invited by Tencent to Portland as a guest commentator for Yang's game.

"With all the attention focused on him, he didn't appear nervous and scored his first points. I think it was a successful enough debut for a rookie, as far as a learning experience and an opportunity to understand his pros and cons in the NBA.

"He will have more chances to improve his game and prove his value. It takes time. There remains a gap between him and a competitive NBA player now, but that shows his huge potential as well."

Pundits from the United States agreed, summing up Yang's debut as more than a pass.

"He came in early, getting used to the speed and the physicality of the NBA games well. A nice rebound, getting to the free-throw line to score the points, I didn't expect the first game to be a smooth one. That's what happened with the rookie," said Sean Highkin, a reporter with Portland's Rip City Radio.