Being a rookie in the NBA already comes with its own set of challenges: adjusting to a new lifestyle and navigating the grueling 82-game schedule.
Much has been asked of Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, who is still adapting to NBA life.
It’s no secret the Golden State Warriors need considerable production from the forward. But after one preseason game, the Warriors may have asked too much.
Balancing Aggressiveness and Making Plays
One of the first things Steve Kerr preached to Lendeborg was his offensive aggressiveness. Golden State believes he can become a solid three-point threat who also pressures the rim and eases the load off of Stephen Curry.
Kerr and Curry echoed those same sentiments after their first preseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers in Hawaii. Lendeborg scored four points on 1-for-6 from the field, tallying nine rebounds and one block in 19 minutes.
While he struggled to score, part of the reason could be the various tasks the team is requiring of him.
Kerr’s golden rule since training camp has been to dial back on turnovers—the same ones that have historically killed the Warriors.
Even Curry and Draymond Green—whom Kerr has deemed the exceptions—will be required to follow suit.
If the franchise legends are turnover-prone, how can they expect a rookie to follow the plan? Better yet, how can a rookie be expected to balance limiting turnovers, scoring aggressively, and setting up teammates?
After the game, Kerr gave Lendeborg the nod as the primary offensive threat when Curry is on the bench.
Although his remarks may initially seem like the kind of green light a young player craves, Lendeborg’s situation could create more confusion. Playing with the pressure that every slip-up could become a film session example of what not to do is daunting for a rookie trying to find his place.
The Warriors Are Asking a Lot of Yaxel Lendeborg
The 24-year-old may have several years of college basketball under his belt, but the NBA is a different beast. Kerr is trusting that Lendeborg will hold his own—or at least add enough offensively to offset the inevitable errors he will make.
A primary instance of Lendeborg’s passiveness came in the second half against the Clippers. He had the ball under the basket with a layup opportunity, but instead attempted a pass to Charles Bassey. He then turned the ball over, subsequently leading to a three-pointer on the other end.
For years, a staple of the Warriors’ way was unselfishness: making the extra pass. To some degree, the team is asking the opposite of Lendeborg, urging him to take on a scoring-first approach.
“The balance of a young guy who’s expected to have an impact is to walk that fine line of aggressiveness but being ok knowing you’re gonna make mistakes, and not getting afraid of it; being able to move on to the next play,” Curry said after the game. “But we don’t want anything passive, and he’s been answering that call early.”
Curry cited the first possession, when Lendeborg took an open shot right out of the gate, as an example of the urgency they want him to play with. Some nights the rim will look as vast as the Pacific Ocean; other nights, it won’t. As long as Lendeborg stays in attack mode, he’ll keep playing time with the Warriors.
The Warriors Believe in Yaxel
Lendeborg should have plenty of runway this season to showcase his growth and learn through his experiences. Curry knows that the team is desperate for offensive threats—particularly without Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody. That desperation means that, regardless of turnovers or missed defensive rotations, they’ll need his services.
All in all, Yaxel Lendeborg showed encouraging signs of the player the Warriors believe he will be. And that may be the most important part: the team has full faith in him.
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