Rookie Yang Hansen and the rest of the Portland Trail Blazers Summer League team held their first official practice Saturday in Tualatin.

The day marked the first step in a quick acclimation process for the group. They play their first game in less than a week, tipping off against the Golden State Warriors next Friday night in Las Vegas.

After practice, media held individual interviews with Blazers Summer League head coach Ronnie Burrell, Hansen, and Blazers third-year forward Rayan Rupert. Here are some takeaways from the media availability session, which naturally included a big focus on Portland’s new first-round pick.

It’s hard to quantify the buzz and attention surrounding Yang Hansen. The speed with which that attention rocketed following Hansen’s surprising draft-day selection is another factor that’s hard to calculate.

One thing is clear: The fanfare and expectations surrounding the Chinese center are outsized compared to what’s usually reserved for a mid-first-round pick. Part of that fanfare comes from being the highest drafted player from China since 2007 (each of Portland’s Summer League games next week will also be broadcasted in China); part of it is the curiosity that stems from Portland shunning mock-draft consensus to select Hansen so high; and part of it is Hansen’s unique skillset and size at 7-foot-1, attributes that have already drawn comparisons to the otherworldly Nikola Jokic.

Heading into NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, I’d be surprised if anybody outside of No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg carries a brighter spotlight.

With all that in mind, I appreciated the way Blazers Summer League head coach Ronnie Burrell approached questions Saturday following the team’s first practice. Burrell never downplayed the rookie’s talent during the five-minute interview, but he didn’t get carried away with hyperbole. He also never lost sight of the human element to the situation, particularly when discussing his Summer League expectations for Hansen.

“There’s a lot of pressure on that kid, man,” said Burrell, who has been an assistant coach with the Blazers since last summer. “I just want him to go out there and have fun first. ... It’s a lot on him. And he’s prepared, and he’s talented enough, so no, I don’t have any specific goals. There’s gonna be a lot of people talking to him. I want him to go out there and to learn our system, to learn about the NBA, while you gotta understand, this young man is adjusting to life in a new country, and it’s all hitting him at once. I just want to be there to support him.”

As far as how Hansen’s first practice went, Burrell provided a similarly measured response, noting the 7-footer will have his share of struggles and successes early on:

“It’s hard to say, it looked like it was his first practice, you know what I mean?” Burrell said. “But the talent level he has and the size, he’s always going to stand out and be impressive.”

Speaking with reporters, Hansen also discussed the learning curve he’s beginning as he adjusts to a new pace, physicality and playbook in the NBA.

“I’m a new rookie, so for sure I need time to get used to everything,” Hansen said through his translator, adding that there are a lot of new things to learn at once. “ ... I might make a lot of mistakes [in Summer League], but I’m lucky I’ve got games to get more experience, so I will follow the flow of the game.”

Responses like that on Saturday served as a healthy reminder — and, perhaps, a slight recalibration of expectations for those swept up by the hype — that this is the start of Hansen’s developmental journey in the NBA.

When asked about what gets him most excited about basketball, Hansen opened with business-like answers that would make a high school basketball coach blush. Winning he said. Doing the things that help the team, he continued. Then he added a bit of color at the end of his answer:

“If I make a great pass that day, I may go back and check the highlight,” Hansen said.

Rupert also highlighted Hansen’s passing ability when asked to give his first impressions of the rookie after practice No. 1.

“He’s great. He’s a great passer,” Rupert said. “He’s running very fast, I was pretty surprised, and he has great footwork. He’s very good. He’s going to be great.”

It’s an annual tradition for reporters to ask NBA players about their thoughts on their new rookie teammates. With Portland’s last two first-round-pick rookies, their teammates collectively zeroed in on one or two qualities while giving their first impressions. For Scoot Henderson, his teammates raved about his speed at training camp. For Donovan Clingan, players gawked about the center’s size and shot blocking. After listening to general manager Joe Cronin and Rupert’s early reviews of Hansen —and watching the highlights — I’m guessing Hansen will continue to receive special recognition for his passing.

Already, Rupert said he knows to be ready to cut when Hansen is operating with the ball on the wing or during dribble hand-offs on the perimeter.

“Every time you cut from the baseline from the corner, you can get the ball,” Rupert said. “He’s a great passer. I love it.”

So how will Burrell utilize Hansen and those passing abilities in the offense in Las Vegas? After just one practice, he said they’re still formulating the schemes. Whatever they wind up doing, he just knows it’ll look unique.

“It’s very rare that you get a guy with that skillset at his size,” Burrell said. “Obviously, that’s going to make your team offensively and defensively look a little bit different than the normal NBA.”

As he jumps from the Chinese Basketball Association to the NBA, Hansen said he’s prepared to adjust his game accordingly early on. That means focusing less on scoring and more on doing the little things like defense, playmaking and rebounding. He also said he may be a little more cautious with flashier passes.

“For the highlight passes, I can’t try them every time,” Hansen said. “Otherwise Coach Chauncey will curse me out.”

The first Summer League practice carried the unique challenge of navigating the language barrier with Hansen — a challenge that the Trail Blazers will have to navigate all season. Burrell said the practice looked a little different since Hansen has his translator helping out, but so far the process has gone smoothly.

“It’s not like we have to hit the brakes and go really, really slow for him,” Burrell said.

“For sure it’s difficult, and I try to use the English I know” Hansen added. “I know more basketball words than daily life, so I can talk more and try to use more words to communicate with my coaches and teammates.”

As Burrell mentioned, Hansen is getting a lot thrown his way right now. He’s adjusting to a new league, a new country and a new language, while dealing with the pressure of high expectations. So far, the coach is impressed by the young player’s ability to work through it all.

“I can’t imagine being in his shoes,” Burrell said. “This is all new to him — the language, the culture, at his age — and he handles it amazing. I’m highly impressed with him so far. The kid has maturity, and he’s got character. He’s picking up things fast, and he’s going to have a really good Summer League.”