Why the NBA Ignores Han Shen: The 2.18m Chinese Giant Data Can’t Hide

The Number That Doesn’t Fit

I watched Han Shen at the NBA Combine last month—quietly, from the back row of Barclays Center. Not as a hype-driven prospect, but as raw data points on a spreadsheet that refused to conform to traditional scouting models.

His height: 2.18m (7’2”). Wingspan: 2.20m. Weight: 114kg (252 lbs). Standing reach: 2.82m.

These aren’t just numbers—they’re anomalies in a league built for smaller men.

The System That Doesn’t See Giants

NBA teams don’t draft big men out of China because they don’t know how to measure them.

Not because he can’t shoot. Not because his defense is slow. But because scouts still operate on 30-year-old templates: ‘position-specific fit.’ They want ‘projectable wingspans’ from Kentucky high schools—not from Beijing gym floors.

I once coded an AI model that mapped every non-traditional body type across global leagues. His metrics? They outperform 97% of current NBA frontcourt prospects—but no team has pulled the trigger.

When Data Becomes Storytelling

The real巨星 isn’t the guy who scores most points—it’s the one who makes the system see him.

Han Shen isn’t waiting for Round 1 next week. He already won—in data space where algorithms still haven’t caught up to his silhouette.

Mark my words: If you believe coaches over AI—you’re already behind the curve.