Yaxel Lendeborg has been everything and more than advertised offensively for the Golden State Warriors so far, but it's a different story on the defensive side of the ball where the 11th overall pick clearly has significant room for improvement.
Any defensive issues surrounding Lendeborg are the least of the Warriors' concerns though, with their offensive question marks still prominent as they look to their young forward as a major part of the answer.
Yaxel Lendeborg's defense is least of Warriors' concerns
While preseason has to be taken with a grain of salt, Golden State rank 20th offensively which is exactly where they finished last season. They've also turned the ball over 20.4 times per game, nearly five more than last season which was the third-most in the league.
With Jimmy Butler and Kristaps Porzingis on the sidelines, the Warriors don't have any margin for error offensively. That's sure to be the focus for Kerr and the coaching staff over the next week before facing the Los Angeles Lakers in their season opener.
Golden State's defense against Austin Reaves and the Lakers was concerning during the first half of Tuesday's preseason game, but that should naturally improve with the return of Draymond Green and Al Horford who were rested from the game in Las Vegas.
Lendeborg, in particular, should improve defensively with at least one of the veteran duo alongside him. The 24-year-old looked lackadaisical and at times lazy on defense during summer league, and some of the same problems have emerged so far in preseason, though they've been largely drowned out by his excellent offensive impact.
The issue appears right now that Lendeborg doesn't have the lateral quickness against guards or most wings, and he isn't necessarily using his size and wingspan to be a consistent rim protector either. While he's using his physicality brilliantly and effectively on the offensive end, Lendeborg isn't quite bringing the same intensity on the defensive interior outside his rebounding. That issue compounds with the absence of Kristaps Porzingis and the 6'9" forward subsequently being asked to play some small-ball five.
Yaxel Lendeborg deserves some grace on the defensive end
While Golden State need Lendeborg to do his part defensively, he does deserve some leeway on that end simply because of how much he's being relied upon offensively. He's quite clearly already the Warriors' second go-to option without Butler and Porzingis, evidenced by leading the team in scoring so far in preseason.
Many of the league's stars taking things easier on the defensive end, largely because they're preserving energy to be the team's offensive engine. Lendeborg hasn't reached that point in terms of stardom, but there's a level of offensive responsibility that already exists.
The Warriors have far bigger issues than Lendeborg's defense entering the season, and there's no doubt he remains the most exciting aspect of a team that still appears destined for the Play-In once again.
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