Yaxel Lendeborg’s postgame honesty cut through the usual NBA noise after the Golden State Warriors fell 111-108 to the Memphis Grizzlies at Chase Center on Friday. Despite his 18 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists, Lendeborg took responsibility for turning the ball over six times, admitting he “definitely threw the game away” with those mistakes during Memphis’s 17-0 run late in the fourth quarter.
The Warriors’ rookie forward has drawn attention not just for his on-court production but also for his blunt remarks off it. Two days earlier, after the season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers, Lendeborg caused a stir by saying he “lost all respect” for Luka Doncic because of the Dallas star’s constant complaining to referees. He shrugged off criticism of that exchange on Friday, saying, “I’m always gonna be myself, man. I don’t care what anybody has to say about it.” Lendeborg added with a chuckle, “I’m not supposed to talk to him, something like that? C’mon now. He’s gonna say what he wants to say and I’m gonna say what I want to say. I’m not afraid to talk to anybody. He’s not Michael Jordan.”
The rookie’s candor and willingness to speak his mind have made him a fan favourite so far. At Chase Center, the crowd cheered louder for Lendeborg’s introduction than for anyone other than Stephen Curry or Draymond Green. His highlights included a twisting left-handed layup around Jerami Grant, drawing a foul from Grant on the perimeter, and a dunk off a long pass from Green. Yet the game also exposed his inexperience. Lendeborg didn’t take a shot until three minutes into the second quarter and twice had his attempts blocked by Memphis’s 7-foot-3 centre Zach Edey.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr acknowledged Lendeborg’s growth potential while addressing the rookie’s mistakes. “Yaxel is going to get better and better. He just has to get used to the NBA,” Kerr said. “There were several plays where he kind of just launched himself into the defense, either trying to score or get fouled. Those are plays where he’s going to learn to make a jump stop and make the play behind him.” Kerr added that Lendeborg is “putting himself in some risky spots that he won’t be doing a few weeks from now. The game will slow down for him. He’s going to be a great, great player.”
The Warriors are relying heavily on Lendeborg this season with Jimmy Butler sidelined and Moses Moody potentially out until early next year. Kerr has urged the rookie to be more aggressive and to run the floor harder. “He has a tendency to coast a little in transition, so I want to see him run the floor harder. I think that will open up a lot of opportunities for him,” Kerr said before Friday’s game.
Lendeborg showed flashes of increased assertiveness against Memphis but also displayed moments of passivity, possibly intimidated by the physical presence of Edey. The Grizzlies’ Cameron Boozer, the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft and eight spots ahead of Lendeborg, matched his stat line with 25 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, and six turnovers. Boozer’s ability to drive at Lendeborg and score in the final minutes helped fuel Memphis’s comeback.
The Warriors’ loss came after a tough home opener in which they squandered a 12-point lead in the final four minutes. Kerr said the team’s defensive lapses against Boozer and Ty Jerome were as damaging as the turnovers. “We got torched by Luca as a team” in the season opener, Kerr added, referring to Doncic.
Looking ahead, the Warriors face a back-to-back set starting Saturday night in Phoenix. Brandin Podziemski’s sore back sidelines him for the game, and Curry, Al Horford, and Draymond Green are all questionable. Lendeborg acknowledged the challenge of stepping up without the team’s stars. “I would definitely have to be way more aggressive,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it, to see how I do and how I step up to the challenge.”
According to Yahoo Sports.
