Warriors get instant Yaxel Lendeborg vindication after controversial draft moment

Despite an apparent disagreement between general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and owner Joe Lacob that became a major talking point from the NBA draft, the Golden State Warriors have nonetheless got instant vindication for their decision to draft Yaxel Lendeborg 11th overall in the lottery.

After a stunning Summer League debut at the California Classic on Friday, Lendeborg again delivered a promising performance on Sunday against the San Antonio Spurs, helping the Warriors to a dominant 98-69 victory over the San Antonio Spurs at Chase Center.

Yaxel Lendeborg gives Warriors instant draft vindication

Lendeborg didn't score in the first-half after missing a couple of free-throw opportunities, but still impacted the game on the glass and with a pair of emphatic blocks as a weak side rim protector in the opening period.

After going a perfect 6-of-6 from the field and 4-of-4 from 3-point range against the Lakers, Lendeborg's scoring finally came along in the second-half. The 23-year-old opened up with a wing three, before running the break with Will Richard to smartly finish a layup in transition shortly after.

Lendeborg would go on to hit another two threes in the second-half, finishing with 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc, taking his tally to 7-of-9 (77.8%) shooting from deep in his first two games with Golden State.

The 6'9" forward did a bit of everything in the 29-point win, adding eight rebounds, two assists, a steal and two blocks in just under 24 minutes. Lendeborg could have easily had another five or six-assist performance if not for his teammates blowing wide open opportunities, but his impact was still felt as an equal game-high +19 on the floor.

Warriors appeared to have made the right decision at the draft

While Lendeborg was always seen as a likely taget for the Warriors if he was available at 11, there was no shortage of speculation on what they would do with the pick, including the potential of trading down or moving it for a player like Trey Murphy III.

Golden State were reportedly fielding offers for the 11th pick once on the clock, and the war room footage of Dunleavy and Lacob's interaction suggested there may have been an alternative option available before they ultimately took Lendeborg.

It may only be two games in Summer League, but it certainly appears Golden State have made the right decision at this stage as Lendeborg immedietly looks like someone who will step in and play a significant role in Steve Kerr's rotation next season.

Lendeborg and the Warriors will conclude their three-game stint at the California Classic on Monday, before turning their attention to the Las Vegas leg of Summer League which starts against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday.

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