Less than two weeks into the NBA season and Yaxel Lendeborg isn't just a prominent Rookie of the Year contender, but the Golden State Warriors forward is generating legitimate All-Star buzz after a shock start to his career.
Former players and notable media members are already declaring that Lendeborg could be an All-Star. If that were to come to fruition, he'd become the first rookie since Blake Griffin in 2011 to achieve the feat.
Yaxel Lendeborg building towards Blake Griffin's rookie path
After missing his first year through injury, Griffin took the league by storm in 2010-2011 where he averaged 22.5 points, 12.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists on 50.6% shooting from the floor. The former first overall pick was subsequently named Rookie of the Year, an All-Star, and even generated MVP votes where he finished 10th.
While certainly possessing different skillsets, there's some genuine similarities between Lendeborg and the rookie version of Griffin. They obviously share similar size and position, while Lendeborg's numbers through his first seven games -- 22.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists on 52% shooting from the floor and 40.9% from three-point range -- are strikingly similar to what Griffin produced during his rookie year.
Lendeborg could also get a boost from being on a better team. The L.A. Clippers only won 32 games during the 2011-12 season, and after what appeared like a disastrous 0-3 start to their campaign, the Warriors have reeled off four-straight and look like they can at least be a .500 team before Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody return from injury.
If the Warriors can be at least .500 or just above through the first half of the season, and if Lendeborg continues to post these numbers and have this impact, an All-Star berth actually looks likely and not just a long-shot as ridiculous as it would have sounded two weeks ago.
Yaxel Lendeborg already gaining All-Star buzz
The All-Star buzz gained more momentum on Sunday after another career-high 37-point performance without Stephen Curry against the L.A. Clippers, including from The Ringer's Bill Simmons and former NBA All-Star Jeff Teague.
“Yaxel has a chance to be an All-Star. That's how good he's been," Simmons said on his podcast episode.
Yaxel is going to be an All-Star," Teague declared on the Club 520 podcast.
There's a long way to go and Lendeborg needs to keep producing at this insane level, but also nothing about this feels unsustainable gvien his role on the team and the 24-year-old's versatile skillset.
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