Wait…is Yaxel Lendeborg the man Dub Nation has been waiting for to help take the torch from Stephen Curry and Draymond Green and pass it on to the next generation?
Yaxel had 31 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists in Monday’s 134-114 win in Denver. That’s the Warriors’ first win, so they’re now 1-3.
Game log
@ Lakers (L 127-105): 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 5-of-11 FG, 1-of-4 3PT, 1-of-3 FT, 29 minutes
vs. Grizzlies (L 111-108): 18 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 4-of-11 FG, 1-of-3 3PT, 9-of-12 FT, 37 minutes
@ Suns (L 131-122): 26 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, 9-of-19 FG, 6-of-11 3PT, 2-of-3 FT, 36 minutes
@ Nuggets (W 134-114): 31 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 9-of-19 FG, 1-of-8 3PT, 12-of-13 FT, 31 minutes, plus-27
Averages through 4 games
21.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 33.3 minutes, 45.0% FG (27-of-60), 34.6% 3PT (9-of-26), 77.4% FT (24-of-31)
I know it’s only been four games, but the young fella has been making headlines both with his trash talk (and defensive effort) towards Luka Doncic, but he’s also turning himself into quite a dynamic weapon to have in Golden State. If someone were to ask me what his game feels like, my first immediate imaginary comp would be if Kyle Anderson had Jimmy Butler’s DNA. There’s something about his combo of size and ball handling. He gets where he wants to go, at his own pace, and rarely seems rushed or muscled out of his spot. He’s also got tenacity, that DAWG in his chest where he’s hyper competitive to a fault. GIVE ME THE PROPER PLAYER COMP, DUB NATION!
Let me know who he reminds you of. Ultimately, he’s the first Big Yax, and his smooth play to start off his first week of professional basketball has been what the doctor ordered for Dub Nation to stop hyperventilating about whether or not this franchise can draft/develop new players. Small sample size, but if the Warriors had had this guy in any of the play-in tournament games they lost over the last few seasons, I believe he would already be a difference maker.
Wow; Ant hurt during the Raptor game, is having arthroscopic meniscus surgery tomorrow. Probably misses atleast a couple of months.
There it is. Not a saviour, not a God, but a mere mortal with a good heart, high BB IQ, an interesting journey and a hunger to learn. With so many mentors and a hunger---this could grow into something really good.