The Golden State Warriors faced a number of issues with Jonathan Kuminga across his nearly five-year career, but one of the more recent ones was the awkward fit between he and veteran forwards Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.
Yaxel Lendeborg is a vastly different prospect to Kuminga in a myriad of ways, yet the same spacing concerns could exist if Steve kerr plans to play the 11th overall pick alongside Butler and Green by the end of next season.
Warriors face familiar Jonathan Kuminga problem with Yaxel Lendeborg
While Lendeborg did shoot an efficient 37.2% from 3-point range on 4.5 attempts during his final year at Michigan, his ability to knock down perimeter shots consistently is going to be a major swing factor on just what level he reaches as an NBA player.
Prior to his single season with the Wolverines, Lendeborg shot 33.3% and 35.7% in his two years at UAB, but perhaps most notably only took 1.0 and 1.9 attempts per game. The 6'9" forward will likely need to take 4-5 threes per game off the jump in the NBA, particularly in the Kerr system which led the league in attempts this past season.
Kuminga has been a willing 3-point shooter during his NBA career, perhaps too much so on occasions as a streaky guy who's shot just 33.2% across his five seasons. Combine that with defenses leaving Green wide open from the perimeter and Butler being a low-volume 3-point shooter, and you can understand why Kerr struggled to play the three together consistently.
Is Lendeborg a significantly better shooter, passer and have greater feel for the game? The Warriors will hope so not just to vindicate their decision to take him 11th overall, but to be able to play lineups with he, Green and Butler together.
Warriors could have perfect small-ball lineup with Yaxel Lendeborg
Kerr and Golden State revolutionized the league over a decade ago with their small-ball lineups. They've often prioritized the same method in recent seasons, only they haven't had the same personnel to make it work in a league that has more players with a combination of size and immense skill
Lendeborg could change that with his size, defensive versatility and if the shooting from Michigan translates to the NBA. While he played some three alongside Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara at the Wolverines, Lendeborg could play some small-ball five minutes for the Warriors at some point going forward.
This isn't a pressing issue considering Butler will start the season on the sidelines, and is based on Green actually returning which is not fully guaranteed, but it's worth considering given the Warriors still have intentions of being a playoff threat once the postseason rolls around.
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