The Golden State Warriors were going to draft Brayden Burries. Everyone connected to the team, the NBA or the NBA Draft knew it. They loved the Arizona guard and were ready to call it in the moment they came on the clock with the 11th pick in last month's draft.
Instead, the Milwaukee Bucks took Burries one pick before them at 10, yanking Burries across the country instead of on a gentle flight from Tucson to San Francisco. The Warriors drafted Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg instead. And three weeks later, the Warriors look like they have landed a future star - and owe Milwaukee a small thank you.
That's not to say that the Warriors were wrong to believe in Burries. He has been excellent in Las Vegas Summer League for a Bucks team badly in need of talented players. Burries is averaging 22.3 points, hitting 44.4 percent of his 3-pointers and stealing everything in sight. He should be a long-term starter for the Bucks.
Yaxel Lendeborg looks incredible
In Lendeborg, however, the Warriors may have found exactly what they needed. In both the California Classic and in Las Vegas, the older draft prospect has absolutely balled out. He has been a smooth scorer, his 3-point shot has looked very real, he plays with size and physicality and should be a two-way rotation player from the jump for the Warriors.
He may even force his way into the starting lineup, pending LeBron James's decision in free agency. That would be an extremely strong statement given that he is playing on a veteran team trying to win with their 38-year-old superstar guard.
Lendeborg does it all on the basketball court. After leading his team to a championship and finishing second for most National Player of the Year awards, the 6'9" forward has smoothly continued his on-court dominance.
In the California Classic, Lendeborg scored 15 points per game while hitting an eye-popping 77.8 percent of his 3-pointers. Add in 6.5 rebounds, four assists and 2.5 STOCKs (steals plus blocks) per game, and you get a truly dominant all-around performance.
In the desert, Lendeborg looks a little like a player who has been playing nonstop for two weeks of basketball after a few months off. That being said, while his scoring efficiency is down a bit, he is impacting the game in every other way. He is averaging 6.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game, and the Warriors (for what it's worth) advanced to the semifinals after going 3-1 in the desert.
Lendeborg can help right away
The Warriors need young players who can contribute to winning basketball and play a role right away. Their roster is likely going to be underrated, with or without King James, but they also need to manage the regular season carefully so that Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and De'Anthony Melton all make it to the end healthy, and that Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody have a shot to return and contribute. That's a lot of injury and workload management.
Lenedborg could be the answer, both now and moving forward. Brayden Burries may turn into a star, but so can Lendeborg, and in the meantime, the Michigan forward is ready to contribute right now to winning basketball. Curry may not be around when Burries hits his stride; Lendeborg may be ready to hit his as early as October.
Drafting Burries would have been great. Drafting Lendeborg is great. Thanks to Milwaukee, the Warriors have a stud at the league's most valuable position. It worked out quite nicely for them in the end.
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