The Golden State Warriors announced their complete training camp roster on Sunday, with fans quickly identifying a Yaxel Lendeborg detail that makes the 11th overall pick even more intriguing.
Lendeborg has been listed at 6’9” and 241 pounds, making him the third-heaviest player on the Warrior training camper roster behind veteran center Al Horford and recently signed two-way contracted big man Graham Ike.
Yaxel Lendeborg could play small-ball center minutes from day one
Lendeborg is not only three inches taller than veteran forward Draymond Green, he’s also six pounds heavier. He’s also heavier than starting center Kristaps Porzingis despite being five inches shorter than the 7’3” unicorn.
Along with the obvious factors of being a lottery pick, winning summer league MVP and leading the team to a championship, it’s Lendeborg’s versatility that brings real excitement to a team that otherwise had an underwhelming offseason.
The Warriors have scarcely had a player with this combination of size, skill and positional versatility across recent years. That equates to Lendeborg being destined to play a lot during his rookie year, but what position he plays most in Steve Kerr's rotation remains up in the year.
At this size, with his frame, and entering the league at 24-years-old after an extensive collegiate career, Lendeborg is well placed to play some small-ball five minutes from day one. That would allow the Warriors to play more up-tempo basketball where they can space the floor effectively after Lendeborg lit it up from deep during summer league, shooting 45.6% from beyond the arc.
Yaxel Lendeborg vying for starting small forward position
It’s wild to think that Lendeborg could play genuine center minutes, but that he’s also vying for the starting small forward role to fit alongside Green and Porzingis as part of a jumbo-sized frontcourt the likes of which Golden State and their often small-ball system have gone away from in recent years.
According to Green on his latest podcast episode, Lendeborg’s 3-point shooting has translated from summer league to Golden State’s recent minicamp hosted by injured six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler. It’s that shooting and ball-handling ability that makes Lebdeborg a starting small-forward option, with the prized lottery set to battle it out for the position in preseason with fellow youngster Gui Santos.
One thing is for sure — Lendeborg’s size and physicality stand out when reading through the Warrior roster, and it will likely become even more pronounced once the real stuff gets underway on the floor, starting with the first preseason game against the L.A. Clippers on Sunday.
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