Sports Illustrated used its NBA Rookie First Impressions series to argue that Yaxel Lendeborg pairs the all-around impact the Golden State Warriors expected with a new scoring gear that strengthens his case for star upside. The case rests on his first five games with the Warriors, who drafted him No. 11 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Through those five games, Lendeborg averaged 22.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He scored 87 points in his first four games. His best night came Oct. 26 in Denver, where he had 31 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in a 134-114 blowout road win. That win ended an 0-3 start. He followed it with 26 points (11-20 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 2-4 FT) and nine rebounds in a 119-114 win over Minnesota on Oct. 28.
The SI piece frames the scoring against how Lendeborg was viewed before the draft. It says that as a 24-year-old rookie, Lendeborg faced widespread assumptions that he may not be able to bring the same star upside as younger counterparts in the draft.
His sixth game was his weakest. Against the Lakers on Oct. 30, Lendeborg finished with six points, five turnovers and six fouls in 24 minutes. Golden State still won its third straight. Afterward, Steve Kerr said, “This is the rookie experience.” The Lakers game brought his average down to 19.8 points over six games.
Lendeborg’s Role Is Bigger While Butler and Moody Are Out
The scoring is real, but the opportunity behind it is partly temporary. The Warriors are without the injured and rehabbing Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody to open the season, leaving a void and major opportunity on the wing for Lendeborg.
That has made him Golden State’s clearest second scoring option, though SES argued this week that Curry and Lendeborg are not a duo yet. Six games can show that he can handle a large role. They can’t yet show whether he keeps that role once the rotation is full.
Butler’s and Moody’s Returns Will Test the Case
Neither Butler nor Moody has a reported return date. Their return is the clearest test of SI’s argument, because it will show how much of Lendeborg’s role Kerr keeps when the roster is healthy.
Source: Sports Illustrated
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