Yaxel Lendeborg's outside shooting may have gained the plaudits from his impressive Summer League debut for the Golden State Warriors on Friday night, but head coach Steve Kerr may have been more delighted with another aspect of the 23-year-old's game.
Hidden beneath Lendeborg's perfect 6-of-6 shooting from the floor and 4-of-4 from 3-point range was his six assists, demonstrating the young forward's ability to create for others and move the ball which is exactly what Kerr demands within the Warrior offense.
Yaxel Lendeborg's six assists proves his fit within Golden State offense
If there's one thing you've needed to be able to do in Kerr's offense over the last decade, it's shoot threes, move the ball and make split second decisions. Golden State have regularly led the league in 3-point attempts and assists during this timeframe, helping generate the success that's led to four championships since 2015.
That included last season where they ranked first in 3-point attempts, and sixth in assists despite only ranking 19th in overall offensive rating thanks to mid-season injuries to the star duo of Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler.
Lendeborg proved both the shooting and playmaking elements of his game on Friday night, suggesting he could be a far better fit in Kerr's system than what we've seen with previous lottery picks like Jonathan Kuminga and James Wiseman.
Kerr and the Warriors would understand that the shooting is likely to come and go with Lendeborg as it does with many young players. If the 11th overall pick can be a league average 3-point shooter (35-36%) on reasonable volume during his rookie year, that's probably a win as a 6'9" forward.
Yaxel Lendeborg offers versatility within the Warrior offense
Kerr's likely to be more concerned with how Lendeborg can play within the flow of the offense, and the versatiltiy he can provide as a ball-handler and playmaker. That was on show throughout Friday's win over the Lakers, finding his teammates in various spots and different situations throughout the game.
Lendeborg twice found undrafted big man Graham Ike on the roll for buckets as the ball-handler in a pick-and-roll situation, while also finding Will Richard for a corner three after running the break in transition.
Sure, it wasn't all perfect. Lendeborg did have a few turnovers in the fourth, but fans would know that just comes with the territory of being a Golden State player, and he can be forgiven somewhat for being tired late in his first Summer League game.
That certainly didn't take the shine from an excellent debut performance, one that Kerr would have to loved to see and which has already arisen plenty of excitement and optimism among the fanbase.
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