Top News

Yang Hansen has been getting comparisons to Nuggets star Nikola Jokic for years, having been called “Baby Jokic” since getting drafted 16th overall by the Trail Blazers in 2025.

The epithet comes from his passing ability, as well as his burgeoning jump shot. He knows being likened to the three-time MVP adds pressure, but rather than being burdened by it, he uses it as extra motivation, according to the Eurohoops team.

“First of all, Jokic is my idol,” Yang said. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for him, and I really love the way he plays. I think that’s also something the fans hope to see from me. So, I’ll just keep working hard.”

Yang had 15 points and nine rebounds in a World Cup qualifier win over Qatar on Thursday.

We have more from around the Northwest Division:

Cody Williams being traded to the Timberwolves means that he’ll be matched up against his brother, Jalen Williamson Christmas Day, an event the older Williams is looking forward to. “See you on Christmas, brudda,” Jalen wrote in an Instagram post, as shared by The Thunder Wire’s Clemente Almanza (Twitter link). The younger Williams has struggled in his first two NBA seasons but will have a chance to redirect his career trajectory on a new team with championship ambitions.
The Jazz are looking to take a major step back toward contention this season, and head coach Will Hardy knows that continuing to build his coach-player relationship with star Lauri Markkanen will play a crucial role in getting the team to the next level. “Lauri’s obviously somebody who I’ve built a pretty deep relationship with over the last four years. I actually think he’s the only player still on the roster from that first year… I think seeing somebody in their natural habitat can be very enlightening,” Hardy said of a trip to Finland to support Markannen, per Jenna Fink of KUTV2 (Twitter video link). “But it was important for us to just spend time, the human piece is very key to our success moving forward. It’s hard to win at the hardest level. What we’re about to enter into is going to be very hard. We need to have a strong foundation of personal relationships… Lauri makes a lot more sense to me now.”
Markannen had a double-double in a win over Estonia on Sunday, racking up 21 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks, and zero turnovers in just 25 minutes, the Eurohoops team notes. He helped lead Finland to a 29-point victory in the World Cup qualifier.