The Warriors have a new star: Lendeborg does something not seen since Stephen Curry

The impact of Yaxel Lendeborg in his first weeks in the NBA is exceeding all expectations. The rookie from Golden State Warriors once again demonstrated his scoring ability with a showcase of 37 points in the 124-112 victory against Los Angeles Clippers. This performance also allowed him to set the highest record for a rookie in the franchise since Stephen Curry reached that figure in 2010.

What's most striking is that Lendeborg had only scored 30 points once during his 112 college games. Now, however, he has already surpassed that barrier twice in the first two weeks of his professional career. His progression is one of the major surprises of the season's start, and he has placed his name among the contenders to consider for the Rookie of the Year award.

On Sunday, against the Clippers, he made 13 of his 19 field goal attempts, including six three-pointers. The Warriors faced the first of two consecutive games and decided to rest Curry and Draymond Green for Monday's matchup against the Phoenix Suns. The absence of two of their main figures opened an opportunity for the young forward to take on more responsibilities, and he responded with the best scoring performance of his still short NBA career.

“Whenever Steph is not on the court, it's my chance to try to be the leader, to be the team's reference,” Lendeborg explained.

From complementary player at Michigan to second offensive reference of Golden State

The emergence of the rookie is particularly striking given the profile he had entering the draft. Although he always showed scoring ability, his college reputation was more related to his versatility, technical resources, and ability to contribute in different facets of the game. He didn't seem destined to become an offensive reference with such prominence from his early professional games.

His college career also did not suggest an explosive scoring burst of this magnitude. After spending three years at a junior college, he averaged 13.8 and 17.7 points during his two seasons at UAB. In his final year, now with Michigan, he recorded 15.1 points per game and was part of the team that reached the national championship.

However, the Warriors needed to find an offensive alternative to accompany Curry. The injury to Jimmy Butler, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in January, had left the team needing to find another source of scoring production. Lendeborg is responding to that demand much sooner than expected.

Steve Kerr acknowledged that the player's talent had already caught his attention during the preseason workouts, although he admitted that his performance against the Clippers exceeded his expectations.

“We knew he was a good shooter,” the coach noted. “When he came to train with us [in June], you could see his talent. But I didn't expect what I saw tonight.”

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His evolution with the three-pointer explains much of his explosion

One of the most interesting aspects of his growth is related to his outside shooting. Throughout much of his college career, Lendeborg rarely relied on the three-pointer. At UAB, he averaged one attempt per game, a figure that contrasts with the confidence he is now showing from beyond the arc.

The change began when he arrived at Michigan. There, then-assistant coach Mike Boynton convinced him that he needed to work more on his shooting, as Dusty May planned to use him as a forward. Lendeborg took the challenge seriously and described a very rapid evolution in his training sessions.

At first, he needed about 40 minutes to string together five consecutive three-pointers. Months later, he was able to make 20 consecutive shots. The progress also translated to games: during his only season at Michigan, he made 37% of his 4.5 three-point attempts per game.

The player himself explained that he has also started to develop skills he did not use very often before, such as shooting three-pointers off the dribble.

“The first time I managed to score [a three-pointer off the dribble] was against Maryland,” he recounted. “We were losing, and I decided to try it because I had already made a couple of threes. Since I’m tall, that gives me an advantage, although it’s not something I practice too much.”

His performance against the Clippers confirmed that he is increasingly comfortable with those types of shots. At 2.08 meters tall, Lendeborg is demonstrating that he can create shots from different positions on the perimeter. Four of the six three-pointers he made on Sunday came after dribbling, including several during a run in the third quarter that provoked a particularly effusive celebration from Curry on the bench.

Kerr believes the rookie's margin for improvement is still enormous, especially as he continues to adapt to the speed and demands of professional basketball.

“He's playing like this without yet knowing the rhythm of the NBA well,” he explained. “The game still feels very fast to him, but he has so much skill and talent that he can make all kinds of plays. He's going to improve a lot.”

His first weeks already place him in the Rookie of the Year conversation

Lendeborg's scoring consistency is another reason for the enthusiasm generated around him. His performances of 26, 26, 31, and 37 points have quickly elevated his numbers and placed him prominently among first-year players.

The player has also highlighted the change in mentality he has experienced regarding his shot selection. In his previous stage, a bad streak could make him lose confidence and reduce his offensive participation. Now he tries to maintain aggressiveness even when his early shots don't fall.

“Something I take pride in is my three-point shot selection,” he stated. “Last year, if I had missed, say, three three-pointers, I wouldn't have shot another one for the rest of the game. In Denver, I started 0 for 5 and kept shooting.”

That confidence is becoming one of the keys to his adaptation to the NBA. However, the game against the Clippers also taught him a lesson about the importance of not losing sight of the collective result while chasing an individual figure.

Kerr holds him back when he tries to reach 40 points

With the game seemingly under control and the Warriors at the free-throw line in the final minutes, Lendeborg received a nudge from two teammates. De'Anthony Melton and Will Richard told him he was three points away from reaching 40 and encouraged him to try for that number.

The rookie admitted he got carried away by the suggestion. Over the next possessions, he sought several difficult three-pointers and missed all three. The Clippers took advantage of that moment to reduce the deficit to eight points, prompting Kerr to call a timeout and sit the player.

The coach did not want to take risks during a stretch where the victory could still become complicated. His reaction came with a warning about how easily games can change in the NBA.

“In today's NBA, a game can change like this,” Kerr said, snapping his fingers. “Almost every night, a 25-point deficit can be overcome.”

Lendeborg took responsibility and assured that he will not fall into that temptation again. The player made it clear that his priority must remain making good decisions and helping the team, rather than chasing individual records.

“I have never been one to try to inflate my stats,” he said. “Caving into my teammates' pressure, like I just did, was a mistake on my part. I'm a player who likes well-planned basketball, and let's just say I didn’t do that during the last two or three minutes.”

The Warriors were ultimately able to close out the game without any surprises and recorded their fourth consecutive victory after starting the season with three straight losses. The result reinforces the team’s change in dynamics, but also leaves an important conclusion: Golden State has found in Lendeborg a scoring source that few expected to have so soon.

Kerr did not hide the extent to which the rookie's contribution is changing the offensive possibilities of the franchise, especially on a night when Curry was unavailable.

“The impact he is having in games during these early weeks of the season is impressive,” the coach said. “He changes everything. On a night like tonight, without Steph, we scored 124 points, and Yax is the main reason for our great offensive capacity.”

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Los Warriors tienen nueva estrella: Lendeborg hace algo que no se veía desde Stephen Curry