The Golden State Warriors have had a lot of fun watching Yaxel Lendeborg so far. The No. 11 pick has looked nothing like a rookie, and he rarely holds back when there’s a microphone in front of him.
Friday night is his biggest test yet. The Warriors are in San Antonio to face the Spurs, and Lendeborg will see Victor Wembanyama up close for the first time. He already has an idea of how he wants to handle it.
Yaxel Lendeborg’s game plan for Victor Wembanyama
Before the game, ESPN’s Anthony Slater posted a clip on X of Lendeborg talking to reporters at Frost Bank Center. Asked what he’d been told about Wembanyama, the rookie went straight to the blocks.
“Well, he has like five blocks. He’s going to be in help a lot. And obviously, you see all the stats that he’s put up,” Lendeborg said. “The most recent was like 52 to 24. Like, that’s crazy.”
Then came the plan.
“So, you know me. I’m going to try to shoot as many threes as I can tonight. You know, just try to bait him into, you know, helping out. Maybe we get some more kickouts,” Lendeborg said. “Oh, and try to rough him up as much as we can.”
“I’m gonna try to shoot as many 3s as I can tonight, try to bait him into helping out…oh, and try to rough him up as much as we can.”
Tallest player he’s faced.
“Wemby’s like 7-foot-10?”
He also had a laugh about Wembanyama’s size. Asked about the tallest player he has faced, Lendeborg named his old Michigan teammate Aday Mara, listed at 7-foot-3.
Warriors need Lendeborg more than ever without Stephen Curry
Lendeborg wasn’t far off on the blocks. Wembanyama leads the NBA with 4.4 blocks per game, along with 30.3 points and 11.7 rebounds. He had 52 points, 24 rebounds, and eight blocks against the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 4.
The Spurs come into Friday on a 10-game winning streak. It’s an NBA Cup game too, and both teams are 1-0 in West Group C.
Golden State won both games in San Antonio last November, with Stephen Curry scoring 46 and 49. This time, he won’t be there.
Curry left Wednesday’s 115-108 loss in Houston in the first quarter with right abdominal soreness and won’t play Friday. Lendeborg led the team with 25 points and 10 rebounds that night.
That puts the ball in the rookie’s hands. Through 12 games, Lendeborg is averaging 21.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while making 42.6 percent of his threes. His 37 points against the Clippers were the most by a Warriors rookie since Curry in 2010.
Warriors fans will love the confidence. Now he has to back it up against the league’s best shot-blocker and a Spurs team that hasn’t lost in 10 games. If those threes start falling, Wembanyama might have to come out and help, which is exactly what Lendeborg wants.
Warriors’ Yaxel Lendeborg Has Bold Plan to Stop Victor Wembanyama Before Spurs Game