Already, the Golden State Warriors are getting more than they could have hoped for from No. 11 pick Yaxel Lendeborg, who has thrust himself to the top of the NBA Rookie of the Year rankings thanks to his brilliant play to start the season. But he has mostly had some cover for his early-season ups and downs–playing alongside Stephen Curry, who has been at his peak this season–will allow a young guy to make some mistakes without having them be fatal to the team’s chances that night.
Now, though Curry is looking at a potentially extended layoff with an abdominal injury suffered in Wednesday’s loss to the Rockets. The Warriors are still hopeful it will not keep Curry out too long, but given the way he has played–30.6 points on 50.3% shooting before he had to leave five minutes into Wednesday’s game–any time without Curry is a danger zone for Golden State.
Unless, Lendeborg can carry them.
Draymond Green: Yaxel Lendeborg Is the Best Player With Stephen Curry Out
And that’s something that veteran Warriors forward Draymond Green said the rookie will need to understand. When Curry is out, Lendeborg is not just a rookie playing above expectations–he is often the best player on the floor and needs to understand that. And play like it.
Green said that process began against the Rockets, a game in which Lendeborg had 25 points on 9-for-19 shooting: “One thing he is going to have to understand is that, if Steph is not out there—you know, (Kevin Durant)—you look around and, he’s probably the best player on the floor. And so, I think there was a point where he realized like, ‘Oh, ding, ding, ding.’
“And he started attacking, and the game flipped for us. So, I think that’s something he’s going to have to realize really fast, is like, there will be often times where he could possibly be the best player on the floor regardless of the team. And we need him to show that, and he doesn’t have a problem doing it.”
Lendeborg has played two games without Curry, before the Rockets loss. In the first, was 9-for-19 shooting with 26 points in a loss to Phoenix, and in the second, he was 13-for-19 with 37 points in a win over the Clippers.
Things won’t be easy without Curry in the near future: The Rockets loss was the first of a five-game road trip that brings the Warriors to San Antonio on Friday, and then to New Orleans, Dallas and Memphis next week. Those four foes have a combined record of 28-18.
Warriors Stephen Curry Injury Forces Yaxel Lendeborg Change