Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg impressed in his debut in Friday night’s California Classic Summer League showdown against the Los Angeles Lakers. Lendeborg, the 11th pick in the 2026 draft, tallied 19 points, shooting 6 of 6 from the field, 4 of 4 from three-point range and 2 of 2 from the free throw line.
Lendeborg also contributed with five rebounds, six assists, a steal and a block. He finished with a plus-minus of +11 in 21 minutes as the Warriors won 104-72. While it was only his first Summer League appearance, Lendeborg seemed like an NBA-ready prospect as projected before the draft.
The 23-year-old had clear physical advantages and skills that allowed him to outplay most of his younger counterparts. After Yaxel Lendeborg’s debut, Warriors fans were more hyped about his addition to the main roster.
One fan said the Warriors might not need LeBron James after all, who is one of the team’s reported free agent targets:
“This screams WE DON’T NEED LEBRON!”
More reactions followed.
Yaxel Lendeborg grades himself after Warriors debut in California Classic Summer League
Yaxel Lendeborg graded himself a “B” after his Warriors debut on Friday night. The rookie gave an honest assessment of his play, pointing out areas where he struggled and where he excelled.
“Well, I’d say probably like a B,” Lendeborg said. “I messed up a lot of defensive rotations. That’s kinda taking me a while to get the rotations down. I played a fairly well game till the fourth quarter and then kinda got a little sloppy. Had four turnovers back-to-back, it felt like. But overall, offensively, I think I was in the right spots, moving the ball well, and just finding where I wanted to be.”
The pace in Summer League games is generally unpredictable, so most players making their first appearance after playing in college struggle. That’s what seemingly happened with Lendeborg, who committed four turnovers, three in the fourth quarter alone.
Nevertheless, there was a lot to like about his game in his first outing and the Warriors will be satisfied with drafting Lendeborg. Most teams passed on the 23-year-old as he was one of the older rookies.
However, for the Warriors, that will prove beneficial. The team needs immediate frontcourt depth with Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody out for the foreseeable future. There’s also uncertainty about whether LeBron James would join the franchise this offseason.
Yaxel Lendeborg should play key minutes regardless of whether Golden State makes additional moves.
Read more:
- Yaxel Lendeborg Reveals One Thing That Ruined His ‘Perfect’ Warriors Debut
- “Foolish Decision”: Kevin O’Connor Rips Warriors For Not Pursuing Anthony Davis Amid LeBron James Interest
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