The Golden State Warriors have won five straight games. Just weeks ago, they were 0-3 and the questions about this roster were getting louder by the day. The turnaround has coincided with the emergence of one player.
Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg scored 37 points against the LA Clippers on Sunday, the most points by a Warriors first-year player in a single game since Stephen Curry’s 42-point outing in 2010. He followed it with 16 points, five rebounds and five assists in Monday’s 116-113 win over the Phoenix Suns.
The production has turned heads across the league. One former Warriors star was asked whether the rookie’s early success has impressed him. His answer said everything.
Thompson Weighs in on Yaxel
Klay Thompson watched the dynasty get built from the inside. Four championships. He knows what it looks like when a young player steps into Golden State’s system and thrives.
When asked if Lendeborg’s start has impressed him, Thompson said no. Then he explained why.
“He looks like he’s a great athlete, NBA size, and I know he had a great college career, and Steve is a great coach,” Thompson said. “I think he’s got a great staff, and they can get the most out of guys. So, not too surprised.”
Thompson kept going, pointing to the leadership around the rookie.
“He’s got a good leader, Draymond,” Thompson said. “So, I know they probably go back and forth with the MSU-Michigan rivalry, but Draymond’s a great, great leader for young players, and so is Steph, so I’m not too surprised.”
The coaching staff, the veteran presence, and a culture built over a decade of winning. In Thompson’s eyes, the only surprise would have been if the rookie had not found his footing.
The Numbers Back Up the Belief
No Warriors rookie in the previous five seasons had managed even one 30-point performance. Lendeborg has two already. Only Wilt Chamberlain and Rick Barry scored more in their first seven games wearing a Warriors uniform.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr has watched the growth happen in real time.
“He’s got so much confidence and so much innocence,” Kerr said. “Five years ago, he was playing in junior college in Yuma, Arizona, and now, he’s getting 37 in NBA games. It’s an incredible story.”
Final Word for the Warriors
The rookie is not just scoring. He is fitting into a system that has produced championships. The coaching, the culture, the veterans around him are all part of the equation. Thompson sees the full picture.
Golden State hosts the Miami Heat on Thursday with a chance to push the streak to six. Lendeborg will be one of the pieces at the center of it. The people who built the Warriors standard are watching, and they are not surprised by what they see.
Klay Thompson Shares Honest Take on Warriors’ Yaxel Lendeborg