If there were any questions over Yaxel Lendeborg's ability to translate his college and summer league form to the main Golden State Warriors squad, it was emphatically answered in just his second preseason outing against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.
Lendeborg was a dominant physical force and continued to display a sweet shooting stroke, going for 17 points, nine rebounds, two assists and a block during the 124-98 victory.
Yaxel Lendeborg wastes no time justifying Warriors hype
Granted it was a weakened Lakers squad playing without Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler among a host of other rotation players. It wasn't just the way in which Lendeborg dominated the Lakers though, rather it's his obvious importance to the Warriors right away as he enters his rookie year.
Lendeborg joined young guard Brandin Podziemski with an equal team-high 11 field-goal attempts, proving his versatility with a number of powerful drives to the rim while also nailing two of his three attempts from beyond the arc.
It came after Steve Kerr urged the 11th overall pick to be more aggressive following his four-point preseason outing on Sunday. With Jimmy Butler still on the sidelines and real uncertainty over Kristaps Porzingis as he continues to battle another illness, there's a legitimate possibility that Lendeborg could be the second-leading scorer behind Stephen Curry.
His defensive responsibility will also be significant, particularly if the Warriors start smaller as they did against the Lakers with Gui Santos, Lendeborg and Draymond Green in the frontcourt. The 24-year-old led Golden State in rebounding for a second-straight game, while also emphatically blocking Jake LaRavia at the rim in the first-half.
Warriors need Yaxel Lendeborg to be impactful from day one
There's a reason why the Lendeborg hype has only grown during preseason to date, and why Kerr was eager for him to be more aggressive. Without Butler, Moses Moody and a cloud over Porzingis, Golden State need a lift from somewhere if they're to keep their head above water and eventually become a sneaky playoff threat later in the season.
Lendeborg represents their best path to improvement and at the very least being a .500 team before Butler returns in January, meaning they have little choice but to invest in him with not only big minutes, but a huge role on both ends of the floor.
Fortunately Lendeborg already appears to be validating that investment, with two preseason games only serving to further the excitement surrounding him entering the regular season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google