The Data Behind Yang Hansen’s NBA Tryout Marathon

As someone who’s crunched draft prospect numbers for ESPN analysts, I have to tip my hat to Chinese center Yang Hansen. Completing tryouts with 8 NBA teams in 11 days is the basketball equivalent of running back-to-back ultramarathons while solving quadratic equations.

By The Numbers: A Prospect Under Microscope

Yang’s total of 10 team workouts (including earlier sessions with Utah and Portland) puts him in rare company. For comparison:

• Zhou Qi (2016): Just 4 official team workouts before being selected 43rd by Houston
• Yao Ming (2002): Only needed private workouts due to consensus #1 pick status

The sheer volume suggests two things:

1. Teams see enough potential to warrant closer examination
2. There’s genuine uncertainty about where he fits in this draft class

The Hawks’ Calculated Interest

Atlanta’s behavior is particularly telling. Multiple China trips, extended workout sessions, and now two interviews? When a front office invests this much due diligence on a projected second-rounder, my spreadsheet starts flashing warning signs about possible reach picks.

Their reported interest at #22 seems plausible given:

• Need for rim protection behind Clint Capela
• Existing Asian market connections from Trae Young’s popularity in China But as any analyst knows, when public reports emerge about specific draft positions, it usually means three other teams are considering him earlier.

Could Minnesota Disrupt Plans?

The Timberwolves holding pick #17 introduces compelling variables:

• They’ve successfully developed international bigs (see: Rudy Gobert)
• President Tim Connelly loves drafting stash prospects (see: Nikola Jokić)
• Current roster construction allows developmental flexibility

My predictive model gives a 34% chance Yang goes between picks 18-22, with a 12% probability he slips into the teens if Minnesota or another team falls in love with his 7’1” frame.

One thing’s certain: after this tryout gauntlet, Yang has earned every scout’s attention through pure grind. In analytics terms, we call that an outlier work ethic coefficient.