Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors were heading nowhere fast. Injuries sustained by Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody, and Kristaps Porzingis, as well as a general struggle to build ideal depth, made it look as though the 38-year-old Curry's twilight NBA seasons would be spent in obscurity.
Thanks to rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, that no longer appears to be the case. The NBA should be grateful to Lendeborg for enabling one of the all-time greats to play relevant basketball again.
Lendeborg has fueled the Warriors' turnaround in real time as the team has overcome an 0-3 start to the season to win six consecutive games. The first-year forward has played a direct role in that success as an instantly productive scorer and all-around player.
Though some might question how much of a factor he's played in the Warriors' success, Curry himself has attributed the team's turnaround to Lendeborg's emergence.
Warriors didn’t win five in a row all last season. What’s different this year? “Uh, I mean, Yax,” Steph Curry said. pic.twitter.com/5pTxbe1PDt
— Evan Webeck (@EvanWebeck) November 3, 2026
Though it's not just one player who has made the Warriors a better team, Lendeborg being a consistent, productive, and assertive scorer has taken immeasurable pressure off of Curry.
Stephen Curry on what's helped Warriors overachieve: "Yax"
Lendeborg is currently averaging 21.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and 2.3 three-point field goals made on .492/.396/.759 shooting. He's scored at least 30 points twice during the Warriors' six-game winning streak.
For what it's worth, only two players on Golden State's roster had multiple 30-point games in 2025-26: Curry and Butler.
With Lendeborg stepping up in Butler's absence as a scorer, the Warriors have a far more promising short-term outlook. Supporting players have two offensive focal points to build their efforts around, while Curry can pace himself through games more easily knowing he has a teammate who can score with significant volume.
Once Butler returns, the Warriors could conceivably have three players who are a nightly threat to score at least 20 points—no small luxury, let alone with a 38-year-old franchise player.
Once Jimmy Butler returns, Warriors could finally have elite balance again
It's admittedly unclear what level Butler will play at once he returns as a 37-year-old wing coming off of a torn ACL. That makes Lendeborg all the more important, as he can step up with the scoring volume that Butler may need time to begin mustering on a regular basis again.
If Lendeborg sustains his current level of play, he could even help Butler preserve his energy for the playoffs and give the Warriors the freshest team they can muster come that time.
Throw in Moody's projected return before the end of the regular season and Golden State could make noteworthy strides. It all boils down, however, to Lendeborg proving that Curry isn't the only volume scorer on the roster.
With the rookie proving fearless when Curry needs help the most, the Warriors are finally playing competitive basketball again.
That's a gift to basketball fans, as Curry is still playing at a superstar level, but is on a team that's struggled to stay relevant. Golden State has won just two playoff series in the four years since they last won a title, and their injuries have only exposed how thin their roster is.
Thankfully, Curry is playing for a winning team again and fans get to watch a living legend in games that actually matter. Lendeborg deserves our thanks for that.
Add us as a preferred source on Google