Yaxel Lendeborg shines amid Warriors’ bleak opening week

A part of Dub Nation will say they saw it coming. The other that they still had hope. As the franchise enters its first season with such low expectations in a while, the first week (few days) has been rough.

An opening night matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers went south after one quarter of sound basketball. The rebuilding Memphis Grizzlies stormed back from down 12 points with under four minutes to spoil the Warriors' home opener. On the second end of a back-to-back, playing without Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Brandin Podziemski and Al Horford – over $190 million in salary when including Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody and Kristaps Porzingis – the Phoenix Suns' talent proved too much against a feisty Warriors squad.

When put this way, at 0-3 with three playoff teams next on the schedule, bleak would be a soft word to describe the team's current situation. Still, there were some positive developments to take away from the first of many weeks.

The Crespi duo, De'Anthony Melton and Brandon Williams, both unlocked their offensive game against the Suns after failing to make a real impact in the first two games. The former finished with 25 points along with five rebounds, five assists and three steals. The latter chipped in 20 points on 11 free throws attempts and five assists.

Rookie Graham Ike and 25-year-old Charles Bassey have seized the opportunity offered by Green's, Porzingis', and Horford's unavailability, and proven the Warriors can rely on them down the line. Coach Steve Kerr has really liked what he's seen from both big men.

On the broader picture, Kerr views that rough first stretch as part of the process, as opportunities to sharpen their execution and get familiar with the new system.

"It's just process," he said after the Warriors' third straight loss to open the season in Phoenix. "It's just let's keep putting in the work, let's keep watching the film, and as long they're connected and together, like you saw out there tonight, whoever's available is going to play and we're going to compete like crazy and that will get us better."

Yaxel Lendeborg looks as ready as advertised

The most encouraging sign early on, though, has been Yaxel Lendeborg. The rookie came into the season with the tall expectation of making an immediate impact and fill the void left by Butler and Moody's injuries. It hasn't been perfect, but he's answered the call.

A few preseason games provided enough evidence that Lendeborg, the 11th pick in this year's draft, could do it all offensively. Scoring, shooting, dribbling, passing, getting to the line, involving his teammates, he's looked the part as a legitimate second option when Curry is on the bench or in street clothes.

Through three games, Lendeborg has already etched his name in the Warriors record books. His 56 points during that span are the third-most by a rookie in franchise history, trailing only Joe Fulks in 1946-47 (68) and Wilt Chamberlain in 1959-60 (120). He became the first Warriors rookie since Chris Webber in 1994 – the last Warrior to win the Rookie of the Year – to record 18+ points, 9+ rebounds, and 5+ assists in back-to-back games.

Lendeborg didn't limit himself to his franchise's history; he also made league history. The 24-year-old is now tied for the fastest player in NBA history to reach 50+ points, 25+ rebounds, and 10+ assists. Quite the early résumé, but the way he's done it has stood out even more.

His versatility has been on full display. He drained six three-pointers against the Suns, finishing with 26 points, nine rebounds and five assists. In a rookie duel against Cameron Boozer, he showed his aggressiveness by going to the free-throw line 13 times while recording his first career double-double, grabbing 13 rebounds to go along with his 18 points. In that first quarter against Memphis, with the Grizzlies closing the gaps on him, Lendeborg didn't force the issue and instead got his teammates involved, dishing out four assists in his first 10 minutes of action.

From operating in the pick and roll to making the right reads, Lendeborg has been comfortable with the ball in his hands. His six turnovers against the Grizzlies show there's also room for development. He's only going to get better as the season goes on.

"He's fearless, he's huge, and he's got a great skill set," Kerr said of his rookie. "The biggest thing is just continuing to learn the NBA and he's going to feel that, he's going to do that."

The rookie is adapting to life in the NBA

Even at 24-years-old, with his college experience and everything he's been through, Lendeborg is new to the NBA game. For him, the biggest transition coming out of college has been the way he attacks a shot blocker. At Michigan, or in his previous stops, because of his size and athleticism, going up strong was enough to get a bucket or earn a trip to the line. In the NBA, big men are bulkier, stronger. They're just better. It's not enough anymore.

At Chase Center against Memphis, or in Phoenix against the Suns, Lendeborg saw his shot get blocked at the rim multiple times. Zach Edey, Khaman Maluach and even Quinten Post are no college players. Kerr mentioned postgame that Lendeborg needs to be more creative when going at the shot blocker. Whether it's a pull-up jumper, a Euro step or a kick-out pass, Lendeborg has to start tapping into his tools to make it more challenging for the rim protectors. Launching himself into them is doing them a favor.

He's going to get better and better, Yaxel. He just has to get used to the NBA," Kerr said after the Memphis game. "He's just got to feel it, the game will slow down for him, and he's going to be a great, great player. He's going to grow game by game."

In the examples below, Lendeborg doesn't do much to deceive the rim defenders. Leveraging his verticality and power would get the job done in college. In the NBA, more craftiness and guile are required.

It's not like Lendeborg doesn't have the necessary tools. He used his pump fake beautifully against a smaller but physical Dillon Brooks, earning himself a trip to the line in addition to the two points. As he's said, he's sometimes been just too eager or excited to make a play for his team. Patience usually comes with reps.

Kerr also wants him to run harder in transition, portraying Lendeborg as a "coaster." But his biggest area of improvement is his weak-side defense. With his size, Kerr envisions him being one of the team's most prolific rim protectors. Right now, his defensive positioning and decision-making are still a major work in progress.

In the example below, Lendeborg was supposed to switch onto Edey to bother the big man at the rim. He instead stayed with his shooter in the corner, and Edey got a free dunk. Lendeborg admitted during camp that he's struggled with implementing the defensive rotations. It has shown at times in his first three games.

Unlike many rookies in the Kerr era, Lendeborg will get plenty of opportunities to develop and fix those issues. He's played 29, 37 and 36 minutes in his first three career games. Kerr said it wouldn't be surprising to see the rookie lead the team in minutes played. However, with opportunities also come mistakes. Lendeborg is going to commit a few of those too. He's a rookie, after all.

As a rookie it's a blessing and a curse," Curry said about Lendeborg receiving a lot of opportunities early on. "But I like his mentality as he goes through it, so I'm sure he'll continue to get better."

Many aspects of that team can be doubted or questioned. Everybody has agreed on how ready Lendeborg is to contribute immediately. His progression over the next few weeks should be fun to watch. The quicker he makes those strides, the better for the Warriors.

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