Stephen Curry offered a glowing early scouting report on Yaxel Lendeborg at Golden State Warriors media day, breaking down what’s stood out most about the rookie so far.
Curry Breaks Down What He’s Seen From the Warriors’ Rookie
Curry, speaking with reporters, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN, pointed to Lendeborg’s basketball IQ as the first thing he’s noticed. “You can tell he wants to make the right play,” Curry said. “I don’t think he’s afraid, he’s open-minded, he’s curious, he’s listening.” In addition, he offered further detail on the rookie’s mentality, per 95.7 The Game. “He’s obviously a winner… He’s asking questions. You can tell he’s locked in mentally.”
Beyond that, Curry also spoke to Lendeborg’s presence off the court, describing him as an easy teammate to have around. “He’s super easy to be around. Very aware of his rookie duties,” Curry said. “He’s also making his presence felt but staying out of the way at the same time.”
“You can tell he wants to make the right play.”
“I don’t think he’s afraid.”
“He’s open-minded. He’s curious. He’s listening.”
Curry on Managing Expectations for the Warriors’ Rookie
Asked how realistic it is to expect Lendeborg to be a major factor as a rookie, Curry pushed back on the idea of putting a specific statistical benchmark on him. “I don’t know, I mean, the expectation for him is just keep getting better,” Curry said. “The nature of our league and social media, all the microscope is that they’re gonna expect him to be a 20-8-6 guy right out the gate or whatever number you put on him. His job is to block all that out.”
Curry added that the stats will follow naturally once Lendeborg establishes his own sense of what a good game looks like. “He’s gonna get opportunities though, so that’s gonna be fun,” Curry said.
“I don’t know, I mean, the expectation for him is just keep getting better. The nature of our league and social media, all the microscope is that they’re gonna expect him to be a 20-8-6
Horford Echoes Curry’s Praise
Curry wasn’t the only veteran impressed early on. Al Horford pointed to Lendeborg’s versatility as what stands out most. “He’s able to do kind of a little bit of everything as a player,” Horford said. “Whether it’s creating his own shot, getting to the basket, finding the open guy, he’s understanding how to play and move without the ball. A lot of the things that Coach wants for us to do, he already has a good feel for it, and I think Summer League was good for him.”
“I just right away. He’s able to do kind of a little bit of everything as a player, so I just feel like right away for him to be able to, whether it’s creating his own shot, getting to the basket, finding the open
Lendeborg’s Path to Golden State
Lendeborg arrives with real production behind him. In fact, he was the best player on a Michigan team that won the national championship. During that run, he averaged 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists while also making an impact defensively. Notably, he took an unconventional path to get there, working through junior college and UAB before landing at Michigan, where he stands 6-foot-9 and 240 pounds. Along the way, he developed from a bruising power forward into a more versatile wing. He’ll turn 24 during the season, and to cap things off, he led the Warriors to a Summer League title over the summer.
Stephen Curry Sends Strong Message About Warriors Rookie