The Golden State Warriors are three games into the season and the picture is already becoming clear. The roster is banged up. The veterans are managing workloads. And the player who has looked most ready to carry a larger share of the offensive burden is a rookie.
Yaxel Lendeborg scored 26 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and dished five assists in Saturday’s loss to the Phoenix Suns. With Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Al Horford all resting, Lendeborg functioned as the Warriors’ primary ballhandler and lead decision-maker for extended stretches.
Curry spoke about what the early returns have shown him about the rookie’s trajectory.
Steph Curry on Lendeborg’s Growth
Curry has watched young players come through Golden State for years. Most of them developed behind the scenes, learning in practice and earning sporadic minutes when the situation allowed. Lendeborg’s path is different.
“We’ve had rookies, young guys, who…they’re helping, but it doesn’t really show because they’re not getting minutes, or not getting opportunity because of the situation,” Curry said. “But he’s going to develop right in front of everybody’s eyes.”
Curry also broke down what makes Lendeborg’s offensive game effective at this stage.
“He’s so calm with the ball in his hands, as a playmaker,” Curry said. “He can get schemes going where you highlight that and put him in a position to be successful with spacing around him. It’s very Jimmy-esque in a way, but a different way. Where he can slow possessions down and create a threat, whether it’s picking on a mismatch or driving the lane with space where nobody can really stay in front of him. And make teams make decisions.”
The Jimmy Butler comparison was notable. Butler, the 6x All-Star, remains out with an injury. Lendeborg is not being asked to replace him, but Curry sees elements of a similar skill set. The ability to control pace, exploit mismatches, and force the defense to react rather than dictate.
What Saturday Showed
Saturday’s game in Phoenix was the clearest look yet at what Lendeborg can be as an offensive engine. He shot 6-of-11 from three, including sidestep triples against aggressive closeouts that showed a level of shooting comfort beyond his experience. His floor vision produced clean looks for cutters and bigs inside. He made few wrong decisions against a well-coached Suns defense.
The rookie moments were there too. There were stretches where he tried to force the ball into tight spaces or attacked the rim without an exit strategy. Kerr has noted that some of those finishes need to become pull-ups or change-of-direction moves rather than collisions with shot-blockers.
But the overall picture was encouraging. Kerr said after the game that Lendeborg will likely lead the Warriors in minutes this season. The plan is to expand his playmaking role as the year progresses.
“He’s fearless, and he’s huge, and he’s got a great skill set,” Kerr said.
Final Word for the Warriors
Curry said Lendeborg is going to develop in front of everyone’s eyes. Three games in, that process is already underway.
The rookie has been fearless, productive, and willing to take on responsibility that most first-year players do not get the chance to carry. The mistakes will come. The learning curve is real. But the talent and the temperament are evident.
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