Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg sure looks ready for the moment. The reigning NCAA champion has hit the ground running during his rookie NBA season, scoring with the poise, maturity, and skill level of a veteran player—if not a future All-Star.
Lendeborg's latest performance officially kickstarted his Rookie of the Year campaign and showcased how bright the future could be for the Warriors.
Lendeborg finished the Warriors' Oct. 28 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves with 26 points and nine rebounds on 11-of-20 shooting from the field. It was a stunning display of scoring prowess from a player who doesn't seem to be slowing down.
The win over Minnesota actually marked Lendeborg's third consecutive 20-point game and his fourth straight with at least 18 points.
Though the early games won't decide the race for Rookie of the Year, Lendeborg is building momentum toward a clear case for it. He's already the Warriors' second-leading scorer behind Stephen Curry and is providing remarkable offensive balance to a team that lacks it.
If Lendeborg stays the course, then history will be on his side and the Warriors could have their first Rookie of the Year since Chris Webber in 1994.
Yaxel Lendeborg is making a clear early case for Rookie of the Year
Lendeborg is currently averaging 22.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.0 steal per game. If he sustains his scoring mark, that would give him the highest scoring average by a first-year NBA player since Allen Iverson at 23.5 in 1996-97.
15 of the 21 rookies who have averaged more than 22.6 points per game won Rookie of the Year—and one, Geoff Petrie, lost to another player on the list, Pete Maravich.
It's obviously too soon to expect Lendeborg to sustain this remarkable level of production. If his string of 20-point games isn't just a strong early return on the Warriors' investment but a sign of things to come, however, then he'll at least be a candidate.
Even beyond the historical precedent, Lendeborg has a chance to help the Warriors stave off irrelevance and make a run at the Play-In Tournament in a prominent role.
Yaxel Lendeborg is an impact player scoring at a significant clip
Lendeborg is currently second on the Warriors in points and field goal attempts, and third in assists per game. He also leads the team in rebounding and has a usage rate of 26.0 that trails only Curry and Brandon Williams, who's playing 16.0 minutes per game.
Speaking of minutes, Lendeborg's 33.6 per contest lead the Warriors. The team has been 7.6 points per 100 possessions better when he's been on the court.
Making the admittedly ambitious assumption that Lendeborg's success will last, Rookie of the Year should be within reach. If nothing else, he's soft-launched his campaign to win the award with a remarkable stretch that Golden State is trusting him to sustain.
Lendeborg was drafted outside of the top 10 and has faced questions about his upside as a 24-year-old rookie, but he's silencing critics left and right while making Rookie of the Year a realistic goal.
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