Where Does Rookie Standout Yang Hansen Fit In the Trail Blazers Rotation? | Summer League Wrap Up

Where Does Rookie Standout Yang Hansen Fit In the Trail Blazers Rotation? | Summer League Wrap Up

In today’s show, wrapping up what we saw from the Trailblazers at Summer League with a focus on Yang Hansen’s week in Vegas plus the other guys who are not named Yang Hansen. Welcome to Lockd On Blazers. Let’s get into it. You are Locked On Trailblazers, your daily Portland Trailblazers podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network. Your team every day. What’s up world? It’s your pass first point guard and trailblazers reporter Mike Richmond. You’re listening to another episode of Locked on Blazers, part of the Locked on Podcast Network, available wherever you get podcast and also on YouTube. Thanks for making this show your first listen. Coming at you each and every weekday, Monday through Friday. So make it a part of your daily routine. Make your first listen. Tell your friends to do the same. It’s locked on Blazers, your team every day. In today’s program, we’re talking everything that happened in summer league. So, with a focus, heavy focus on the most important player on the Blazer Summer League roster, obviously, Young Hansen will spend the big the majority of the show getting into Hansen’s game and and everything we saw. Uh, we’ll talk Ryan Rupair, we’ll talk Caleb Love, we’ll talk CD Sissoko, but let let us start with Hansen. Uh, the Blazers wrapped up their summer league slate on Saturday evening. Hansen did not play in that game. Ryan Rupair kind of curiously did play in that game. We also got a little bit of love in Sissoko. But Hansen’s game, Hansen’s weekends week ends in Vegas after four games. He averaged 10.8 points, five boards, 3.8 assists, 2.3 blocks. He did turn the ball over 38.8 times per game. Uh, and played about 24 minutes, a little more than half of a summer league game. Shot overall 47% from the floor, 33% from three. That’s four of 12 total across those four games. And 67 and a half% from the free throw line. don’t think the numbers really matter, but they’re not nothing. Like, if he’d had bigger, more monster games, those would matter, right? Um, but I think what we saw was a dude who has some real strengths. The passing is a real strength. Like, he can really pass. And not only can he really pass, he a handful of those passes are just straight up dimes, right? He’s just throwing he’s throwing great passes. He’s throwing really, really good passes. I would say one thing I’d like to see him do more and I think he will do more when he plays with better teammates is throw simple passes. Like he he can make he’s just he just reads the game so well, but it feels like he tries to pass guys open a lot and he loves to throw back door passes. So sometimes you turn the ball over cuz he’s like he wants to make the pass that kind of opens the game up. Some of that is probably just like the nature of learning the the the sort of uh speed of the game and playing with guys who aren’t very good. I think when he plays with better teammates, and he will play with better teammates certainly in the NBA, um he’ll his simple passing will will take a step forward. Uh I I I think one of his strengths was a willingness to be physical. I don’t think his strength is quite there yet. That’s certainly something that will go in the weakness category. Um not being strong enough goes in the weakness category, believe it or not. But like his willingness to be physical. I I think um he he he never shied away from contact. Part of the reason I think he blocked so many shots this week in Vegas was cuz he was willing to be at the rim and block shots. Also, he’s gigantic. He had a couple easy just kind of like I’m so big, why are you trying me type of blocks, but he also had some like contests just by like be not being afraid to be there. And a huge part about being a defensive player is a willingness to get dunked on. Quite frankly, it’s a willingness to be in the way and be on a highlight reel and all of those things. that is um he he he had that willingness to be physical on defense both on and off the ball particularly as as uh challenging in the paint. I thought I thought he did a good job. Um I I think he was a good rim protector in the context of block numbers. I don’t think he was a great rim protector in in if you watch like all of his minutes in terms of uh pos defensive positioning and how quickly he read stuff off the ball. I I mentioned at the start of summer league that was the thing I was going to pay attention to. So perhaps I’m a little more harsh than he deserves, but I thought there were a handful of times when he was playing in a deep drop and just in the paint and he just needed to be a half step over. He’ll learn that. That’s a rhythm thing. That’s a reading thing. That’s like recognizing patterns and all of that. Um, but I thought in terms of blocking shots and as a rim protector, I thought he was I thought he was good on defense there. He has some mo some lateral mobility stuff. That’s a challenge. But the passing, the willingness to be physical, the the the the sort of the ability just to be big and block shots um and and like be a deterrent in that way. And then I think he added more variety to his game all week. I thought that was a really good part of what he what what we saw from Hansen. Like the first game, oh my gosh, this dude can pass. Um, you know, the second game he didn’t he didn’t play as well, but we saw more stuff. He he at least tried stuff in the post and did more things like that. The third game he’s making threes, and when he started to make threes, he started shoot them more with confidence. Okay, outside shooting, those types of things. And then the fourth game, um, they didn’t they didn’t get him the ball enough, but I thought he had his best game as a roll man, like just rolling to the rim, setting screens, and truly rolling rolling into space. Uh, he’s playing against a much smaller Rockets team, and he kind of rolled like I’m know I’m bigger and can get the ball. And his teammates said, “We’re summer league players. We can’t catch you the ball. Sorry, that’s not going to be something we do.” But I I thought he kept I thought he added variety to his game. I thought um I thought we saw little wrinkles which is like the sign of a young guy particularly guy with a with a language barrier like this is what I can do. I know these are my strengths. That’s kind of game one. This is absolutely what my strengths are, you know. Uh game two it’s like I got to try to do a little bit more. Game three it’s like I can make shots. Like I can do I’m I’m willing to take you know to take outside jumpers cuz I want to show that I can do more. And by the fourth game it’s like I can do a bunch of different stuff. Watch me roll the rim. Like just that comfort in playing and all those things. I think adding that layering varieties to his game um was was impressive. And and I mentioned this up front. I think the I think the most the best part of his game and I think the final his final game in Vegas was a little rough, but I think I think for the most part like the thing that really stood out to me this week um with with Hansen was like there just weren’t so many oof plays and so many yikes plays where like yikes. Like there’s just there’s not a lot of that. The the lows weren’t so glaring. He certainly has weaknesses. I’ll mention those in a second, but they weren’t these glaring like, “Oh, no, that’s not going to work.” type of stuff. The highs maybe weren’t like off thecharts highs, but they’re so intriguing and so fun. And because he didn’t hit these like super deep valleys, you’re like, “Well, yeah, there’s like a level of competence that makes you feel like um you know, maybe he’s not like an immediate contributor, but that like he’s got some stuff like that this is a pro, right?” type of stuff. Um in terms of weaknesses, obviously he talked about it a bunch and he was very open and I like that about him about strength and conditioning. He just has to get stronger and he has to get his conditioning better. The second game was where he struggled a little bit was the second night of a backto-back. Summer league is fast. Like he he admitted that his just legs weren’t there and he didn’t play well. Um but like you know there are backto-backs in the NBA. There should not be back tobacks in summer league but whatever. Um but but yeah, like he has he part of his journey getting older and like growing up in the league and also like transitioning to the league is like getting with NBA strength guys, getting with the the Blazers H&MP, that’s health and performance team and just like getting stronger, like getting stronger, getting your getting your wind better, getting your cardiovascular strength up, and like just like being able to play longer stretches and be able to um use your strength cuz I thought I thought his post game never really shined in summer league because he just wasn’t strong enough against the the strongest post defenders to really like get to where he wanted to go. Um, limited post offense because of that really. Um, he was I don’t think we saw a lot of him as a role man. Like he had one roll dunk where it’s like highlight dunk where it’s like, yes, that’s sick. Um, that was, you know, super fun, right? And he had a couple in this in the and the fourth game including like a little scoop layup. And he had some really fun off the dribble plays like his his ability to dribble at his size was really intriguing. I don’t think I hammered that enough in the strength section. He his ability to dribble and pass at his size really intriguing. The skill level is really is interesting. Um, but like I don’t think he showed much in the pick and roll as a role guy, but that has so much to do with his teammates. This particular flavor of dudes were unable to get him the ball. Maybe unwilling to get him the ball in some situations. It’s just they weren’t any good. Um, they weren’t any good as pick and roll operators. Some of them were okay. So, well, well, I think it would be foolish to watch this week and like stamp these performances as proof of anything. Like I I think that like you just you got to remember the the the Nick Patum Josh Selby uh part of a part of this, right? It’s like you know what you saw and he’s got some stuff. But like speaking very definitively after this, it’s like he what what we saw was the outline of an NBA player. It’s like, okay, yeah, let’s see how that how what that what that like sort of finished product looks like. I I I wouldn’t I wouldn’t stamp this as proof of anything, but I will say it it left you feeling left me feeling and I think probably you you at home certainly a lot more positive than apprehensive, right? Um the next transition like obviously like summer league is a big jump from the CBA and the NBA is a massive jump from summer league. Um, that next transition will be tough for him, too. But the early signs from Hansen are that like I I I’m I’m just like I’m really intrigued by how what he can build on because of his just sheer size and sheer skill skill level, what he can build on. Um, I I I mentioned this before, uh, that’s like I talked about this with friends when you’re going to like if you’re going to to a gym to watch a specific player. One of the tests that you should ask yourself is if there were no names on the back of the jersey, if I was just watching the game with with just like, okay, I’m here to watch a basketball game, who would stand out? Um, and I think this is I think Hansen passes this test really well. If you didn’t know anything about the pre-draft process, right? if you didn’t know that he was a projected second round pick and he didn’t know that he was the Blazers took him 16 and he didn’t know that um uh you know that he was that that was widely considered like a big reach on draft night from many of the sort of draft prognosticators if you didn’t know any of that information um and someone told you like hey that guy what do you think of 16 you said yeah he looks pretty good and they said oh and then they said oh yeah that’s his that’s their first round pick in this draft you’d say oh yeah duh like for sure he looks like that like he looked he looked like the Blazers best player like he looked He was the most functional part of like he kept the offense humming. That has a lot to do with who came in after him for sure, but like he was the most productive player. I think the question here is like like this was good, this was fun, this was intriguing. What’s what what does he become? And that’s that’s a question we’ll we’ll answer a bunch um moving forward like not only in the coming months but in the coming years as and during the hunt as Hansen like grows in this organization. But I want to address it a little bit about like my perceived role for him next season. um in the second segment. Then we’ll talk a little about Ryan Rupair. Join me in that second segment, won’t you? First though, let’s talk Monarch Money. Don’t you do you ever think to yourself, I wish it was easier to manage my money? Well, it can feel easier with Monarch Money. Whether you’re growing your savings or planning a big purchase, Monarch puts you in the driver’s seat. It’s like having your own personal CFO giving you full visibility and control over your finances. Monarch Money is more than just a great budgeting app. It’s a complete financial command center. You can track all of your accounts, all of your investments, and all of your spending in one place. So, in addition to managing your money, you’re building your wealth. If you share finances with someone, Monarch can help you stay on the same page cuz both of you can pull up the same app and say, “Here, here’s where we are. Here’s all the categories we’re spending money on.” And you can say, “Here’s where we’re, you know, here’s here’s where we’re spending too much money. we could allocate some of this here and then we’d have a better quality of life. Um, or you can just look at everything quickly all at once. So that that is your savings account, that is your checking account, that is your mortgage, that is your maybe your student loans, that is any other uh investments you have across different apps all in one spot with Monarch Money. So take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use a code locked on NBA at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year. That’s monarchmoney.com and the code is locked on NBA for half off your first year. All right. So, I I think Hansen was good enough that I desperately want him to play a good chunk of next season. And when the Blazers uh chose to uh stretch DeAndre Aton and not try to trade him for other contracts or just like keep him on the roster and see what happens, they did create a lane where Hansen is going to have opportunities. There’s no doubt about it. But I would say if I had to guess right now in July, um he’s the third center on the roster. Do not if you are penciling him into your starting lineup in your sort of in your dream lineup. D you can dream it. I’m not I I encourage I encourage dreaming. Um but uh realistically Don Klingan is the opening night starter for the Blazers. You know, you you probably pencil him in for something like 26 to 28 minutes. They’re going to try to play Rob Williams. Um, but even last year before Rob, like as Rob was transitioning back from from uh from offseason knee surgery, they were really cautious with him. He was not playing big minutes. He was not playing half the game. He was not playing 25 minutes a night. You’re talking 12 to 14 from Rob. You’re talking like two 7 minute shifts a game. One in the first half, one in the second. There are, you know, if you say, okay, that’s 28 plus 14. They could go small in those other minutes and then Hansen doesn’t play, but there are minutes for him to play. I don’t think he can play realistically a lot with either of the other big men. I don’t think he can play with with um uh with Klingan really at all in year one. Maybe that’s something they get to in down the line. He can play a little bit with Rob, but I wouldn’t just I don’t think like I don’t think that you get the value from either of them by playing them together. So, you’re really talking he’s a third center, but Rob’s going to miss time. He’s going to miss time naturally because he’s not going to play backtobacks and they’re going to be cautious with him and give him days off. Uh we saw them do that last year and that was before another knee surgery. like they’re going to be he’s Hansson’s got a place to play and what what I think like the most likely role for him during his rookie season is that he’s kind of out on the edge but he gets a couple early season cameos like edge of the rotation not really playing he’ll get a couple early season cameos just like by the nature of health and foul trouble and he’ll have an opportunity right then to say I deserve to play I deserve to be on the court and then he’ll just naturally play some down the line because um they’ll probably want to see him and also Rob’s just he’s going to miss he’s going to even if he get does not get hurt again he’s going to miss time naturally because they’re going to be conservative with him and they’re going to be conservative with his minutes. But yeah, Hans is Hansen’s role next season starts as a backup. Don’t don’t don’t um don’t get too far out over your skis over a fun uh four four games in summer league. Speaking of four games in summer league, Ryan Rupair played four games in summer league. I they really weird rhythm to Ryan Rupair’s um summer league period. um you know he he played the first uh three games and then he sat out game four and so I figured his summer league was over and I was like well he could I don’t know why he sat out game four but like sure and then he came back in game five they didn’t like there’s no injury report and I don’t think any local media people maybe Casey hold team media was there but I didn’t see any like injury update on Rupair I think he just got a day off right they said okay you get a day off you’re not going to play cuz we want to do something else with in with minutes in in the fourth game you’re going to play in the fifth game so he did um Blazers got throttled in game five Um, I think they gave up like a 22 zip run at one point to Phoenix. Um, I don’t really want to talk about that. I’m talking big picture stuff. But Rupair did have a weird weird situation where he came back and ended up playing four games. He had two really solid outings. Um, game five totally normal, fine and to end his his trip to Vegas and then one somewhat worrying like very anonymous one. So, he had a 23-point night where he made 11 free throws. He had a three-point night where he took four shots. What the hell is going on? Then uh he had a 24-point game where he was like hyper efficient from the floor and kind of bounced back and was much more active and committed eight fouls and was like so much in the game, right? And then he closed uh his Vegas week with 14 points, eight boards, four assists. He finished he was he had a he was having even with that really weird game too where he was like just anonymous. Um he finished with a really efficient slash line. Uh 58% from the floor including six of 64% from three. That’s 12 of 22 from three and made all 13 of his free throw attempts. Um I mentioned coming into this to this uh week in Vegas that like what Rupair has absolutely has to do as a thirdyear player is prove that he’s better than other players. Like he just can’t be like if he struggles it’s a big red flag and if he’s pretty good sure like that’s like you need him to be just like competent good pretty good basketball player. Um, and I think he was that like um I think he he he was like totally fine by the end if you like he did have one game it was pretty that game his second game was like pretty alarming. It was like why didn’t he just shoot more? Why is he one of four from the floor? Like what what happened in like what happened? Why didn’t he just obviously like he plays with some dudes who shoot a lot in Susoko and in love but like he has to hijack some possessions and be like I’m you know I’m like you you you kind of have to get your own in summer league and and he didn’t do that but I you know I I feel like he made he he had a solid showing for himself. Um maybe not a strong enough case that he like he can jump up into the crowded rotation like he’s just there just not minutes for him like with with Drew Holiday and and and Shane Sharp and and uh and and Scoot Henderson plus Matis Thyel playing like some guard minutes and then at forward Denny and Tummani and Jeremy Grant plus probably a little bit of Chris Murray plus Matise Thybel jumping up and playing some of those minutes and like obviously the center uh rotation has is spoken for and and like he’s not a five, Um, so you know, like if if you expect him to play some sort of version of like offball two or three, they’re just like where where do his minutes come from? And I don’t think he played well enough in summer league to like clearly jump up and take someone’s minutes or even to be in the conversation. Um, like I would rather see him play than Chris Murray for my money, but the Blazers don’t think that. Like they love Chris Murray. John Phillips loves Chris Murray. So like um yeah, Rubes is kind of is what he is. Um it was the right type of performance from him in summer league to say, “Okay, good.” when he focuses we and like is plays with purpose. He can ball at this level. He never has to go back and play summer league again. Obviously a year four at summer league would be outlandish. But um you know he’s young and and you knew he was going to take a little while to get going. I don’t think he’s like certainly hasn’t gotten going yet in the league, but I think that like his his Vegas his Vegas experience was not like a huge huge like triple exclamation point, but it was it was not a problematic at the end. You’re like, “Okay, good. Rubs did what he needed to do. He’s like he’ll go into camp and be out of the rotation and have a chance to sort of battle his way in there and maybe get some opportunity. He didn’t play very much in year two and I don’t anticipate he is earmarked to play very much in year three as well. Let’s talk Caleb Love. Let’s talk CD Soko the Blazers two-way contract. So, we will do that. Two-way players. Uh we will do that to close the show. Join me there, won’t you? All right. Still a pass first point guard. I’m still Mike Richmond. You’re still listening to Locks on Blazers. We’re talking Caleb Love. We’re talking CD Sissoko. Let’s start with Caleb Love. These are the two gentlemen who are on two-way contracts. They’re effectively G-League players, but they’re given more money um like half million, a little more than half million dollars to be part of the big club. So, they get a locker room in the big locker room. They’ll be there on game nights. You’ll see them on the bench. You’ll see them dressed a handful of times. They’ll they are certainly if things go wrong, the sort of break the glass type of uh depth pieces that you have on the roster. Uh, and they will get big minutes to play uh with the Blazers G-League team, the Rip City Remix to kind of do their thing. Um, I don’t think either of these guys did nearly enough to make you think like, hey, NBA player. Um, you know, I know people like Caleb Love. Um, I’ve seen so much of him that I have pretty strong opinions about him. He’s a Carolina guy just like me. Um, and this this week in Vegas was the Caleb Love I know. Um, he looks like an NBA player, right? like he he’s he’s 6’2 and broad shouldered and strong. Um, and he moves like a pro. Like he has the way he gets into shots, he looks like a pro. And the way he slashes and attacks the rim every so often, like the burst, it’s like, “Oh yeah, that’s a that’s an NBA player.” And when he was a a high school kid, he was supposed to be, right? Like he was highly recruited. Obviously, he went to UNCC in Arizona. Like um he was the Pack 12 player of the year, doesn’t Arizona. It wasn’t like he’s bad. It’s just the jump from that to the NBA requires a level of efficiency and consistency that he has never hit. Um, and he doesn’t make up for that with a high level defense. And I think what you saw from Caleb Love in this game were some moments that like if you watch it’s like jab, step, step back to his right, hits a three off the dribble. Dang. Like just rips the net off the dribble and then you look at the box score and it’s like he was five of 16. What the heck? Uh like but like and there’s some drives to the rim where it’s like you pressure him too far out, right? He gets like someone gives him ball pressure at 39 ft, right? And he’s just like, “You should not have done that.” And he gets right around them to the rim, finishes through contact and one and a layup and it’s like dang. And then again, you look at the box score and he was four of 11 and you’re like, “Well, I thought he was I thought he was better than that, right? I didn’t realize that he was one of five from three or whatever.” um like he just um like yeah he just he just he moves like a pro, he looks like a pro, but the just the efficiency and consistency of production has never been there. He shot below 40% during his five collegiate seasons. His for his college career, he was he was shot below 40% from the floor in Vegas this week. He shot 35% from the floor, 33% from three. who he is. Like I just I He doesn’t hit the high notes with enough regularity to make you think that he could succeed in a small volume role. I think there’s a world in which Caleb Love is a high volume scorer. I think like there’s a world in which he goes to freaking uh Turkey or whatever and destroys in Euro League, right? like is he just like he just is a monster and he’s an onball just guy who just is like really good and and like if he can be hey be the guy type of go for it point guard again pack 12 player of the year with the ball in his hands in Arizona but like to be to what he would need to be to make it in the league cuz he’s not this high level defender and he’s not a a high level passer um to what he would need to be two averaged 2.6 assists uh in in in Vegas to go along with 15 and a half points and five and a half boards um you know, he’s he what he does is score and he doesn’t do it efficiently enough. Um that doesn’t mean that he uh he could conceivably because of the Blazers current roster situation like be thrown into action, right? They don’t have a lot of point guards on the roster. They added another point guard, Damen Lillard, but he’s not going to play this year. Um and so they don’t have a lot of it’s like there’s a world where he plays. I just like but even if he did, he’s going to have a small minute role. It’s going to be like a backup. we need you to play, you know, whatever 18 minutes at the most type of, you know, nine minutes a half at the most. Can he thrive in a small minute small usage role? I He’s He’s a high usage volume score. It’s there’s a world in which that’s useful on on in the right context. That context is not the Portland Trailblazers in 2025, 2026. Sid Sissoko, it’s just he has enough defensive skills and enough playmaking and ball handling stuff to be legitimately interesting. It’s like he’s 66. He’ll defend full court. He’s physical. Um, you know, they put him on Derek Queen when they when they kind of uh needed to slow him down a little bit. It’s like putting him on a bigger kind of face up forward. Um, like he’s he’s making plays on defense. He had a steal in the back court tonight against Phoenix. Like he had he had a couple um couple just like physical lockdown type of defensive possessions earlier in the week. And and then like the playmaking, he has he has some drives at his size off the dribble and kick outs to the corner. Um just like smart hit ahead passes. Like he’s enough playmaking, enough ball handling, enough enough defense to be intriguing, but not enough highlevel stuff on offense to really convince you, right? Like I feel like he’s just like, “Oh, what if what you know what if he was saying, well, he wasn’t that. What if what if Well, he wasn’t. What if? What if? What? It’s like it is um it is Yeah, he’s like I I think there’s two ways to think about Cedus Suzoko. You could say one, he’s 21 and he can get better and look at the like look at the sort of outline of stuff he does well. Sure. Or you could say he’s 21 and he needs to get better. 14 assists and 12 turnovers in summer league. um shot fine from three uh six of 17, but you know, he’s he’s a a he a hefty diet of his shots are coming on standstill threes from out there. Um and he’s not he’s he wasn’t crazy efficient, but he wasn’t terrible. Um like but he shot 43% on twos at his size. He was nine of 21 over the week on twos. It’s like just not enough highlevel offensive stuff to make you feel like he’s going to get there. Um I feel the same way about Love as I do about Sissoko. There’s no problem with these guys being two-way players. I I think Love has enough kind of like I said like enough physical NBA attributes. You’re like, “Yeah, like that’s he’s a G-League. Sure. Sure. That’s a good spot for him and if he like if he can get right then he can progress beyond that.” And Sissoko it’s like yeah he’s probably a G-League. He’s 21 like you know Love’s a little older, right? But like he’s going to be 24 when training camp starts or when the season starts like he’s he’s a little older because he spent five years in college like but it’s like both these guys totally comfortable with them as two-way guys because love they kind of need a skill set. Sissoko has like is at least like an intriguing player but neither of them had the week in Vegas where you’re like hell yeah that dude’s going to play in the league. I mean maybe you are neither of them had the week in Vegas where I feel that way. I’m like, “Yeah, that’s the Caleb Love I know.” And like, “Yeah, Sissoko is like, as I like, as I’ve said in the past, he’s dude shaped like an NBA player, doesn’t play like one.” Um, I I think the real takeaway remains that Hansen was just like he just did not look out of out of space, out of place, right? Um, you know, I think there’s a lot of people are saying like, well, it’s it’s, you know, he was the 16th pick is blah blah blah blah blah, and the expectations of this. I don’t want to judge him based on his draft space. now that he’s on the team and he looks pretty good. The the quest for him is to become an NBA player. It’s not relative like I guess like maybe when we zoom out again at like 20 20,000 ft. We could talk about that, but at this point I think he was good enough in summer league that it’s like how does this dude translate to the NBA and I think that is the question and that was that’s like my big takeaway. None of the other guys Rupair Love versus Soko are like going to be in the rotation. Hansen was the best player on the summer league team and can sneak his way into the rotation and might end up playing a by the end of the year a straight up big minute very regular role in the league. Um, and in a way that like sometimes summer league is like telling us like well hey that guy’s not quite there but he does some stuff. I feel like Hansen was intriguing enough that I want to see what he can do. I am so ready to see him play against pros. And if there’s real takeaway from summer league now that you’re at the end of the program, it’s I’m just I just want to see him play against NBA players. I want to see what it looks like because he’s got enough interesting gifts that I want to see how they translate against the highest level in in the highest level of competition he’s going to play against. That is going to do it for today’s program. Um this is Monday’s program. This is Monday’s show. Uh you are listening to July 21st show. Uh this evening at the Mot Center, the Blazers are going to do a press conference introducing Damen Lillard. Reintroducing Damen Lillard. Um so I will record after that press conference. I’m I’m aiming to attend, but there’s some personal things that um may get in my way. Uh but like I’m aiming to attend. Uh and regardless, I will give you all of the takeaways necessary from that one. Uh that will be in your feed on Tuesday. Uh Wednesday we’ll kind of talk about where Dame fits in the whole program and where the where where things are headed. Um that’s what we do. We’ll have two more shows after that. Um we are going to eventually in August switch to three days a week but for now for the next two weeks uh for the more than next three weeks, five days a week wherever you get podcast also on YouTube. Tell your friends about the program. I appreciate you listening. I’ll talk to you soon.

Wrapping up a five games and a little over a week in Las Vegas for the Portland Trail Blazers looking at the standout performance from Yang Hansen. Plus, thoughts on Rayan Rupert, Caleb Love and Sidy Cissoko.

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOBlazers?sid=YouTube

Locked On NBA League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, WNBA & More
🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNBA

Watch the show and subscribe on YouTube
📺 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeE7WdPaNWwA-IZGfHek90Q?sub_confirmation=1

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!
OpenPhone
Streamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at www.openphone.com/lockedonnba

Hungryroot
With Hungryroot, it’s like having a personal shopper and a nutritionist all in one. For a limited time, get 40% off your first box and a free item in every box for life! Just go to Hungryroot.com/lockedonnba and use code LOCKEDONNBA.

Monarch Money
Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNBA at monarchmoney.com/lockedonnba for 50% off your first year

Gametime
Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.

FanDuel
Right now, new customers can get ONE HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS when your first FIVE DOLLAR BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

#TrailBlazers #NBA