Yaxel Lendeborg Shines in Warriors' Rookie Breakout

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Yaxel Lendeborg Leads an Impressive Rookie Class

Yaxel Lendeborg is quickly making an impression with his unfiltered personality and willingness to speak his mind. After calling out Luka Doncic for whining and complaining, he backed up his confidence with 31 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in Monday’s win over Denver.

Lendeborg is not only talking like a superstar; he is already playing like a ready-made contributor. His game appears tailor-made for the Warriors’ system, where he has taken on shots and defensive responsibilities while Jimmy Butler works toward playing healthy.

His early performances have also provided support for Steph Curry late in his career. After his run-in with Doncic, Lendeborg appeared to realize that he belonged. The belief shown in him by Draymond Green, Steve Kerr and Curry has paid dividends in major games against strong opponents.

Lendeborg is part of a rookie class producing an impressive collection of statistics and headlines. Although the class was expected to be good, several players have performed better and made an impact sooner than anticipated.

Cam Boozer is another example. He is averaging 15.3 points, 10.5 rebounds and nearly five assists per game while leading rookies in rebounds and assists. His high floor made him a dependable prospect, but the question was whether his physicality could overcome the athleticism he would face at this level.

So far, Boozer has continued to play his game without being disrupted by that athleticism. His ability to make NBA three-pointers has stretched defenses and opened the court, while Ty Jerome’s play has taken attention away from him. That has allowed Boozer to produce consistently and remain effective night after night.

The rookie discussion also includes the Woggler-versus-Acuff debate, which was seen up close in the first game of the season. That opening matchup was described as the group’s Super Bowl, or the Indy 500 taking place at the very start of the year.