The Golden State Warriors seem to have landed a gem with the No. 11 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Yaxel Lendeborg has put his name among some of the greatest rookies of all-time with his first-week performance.
After an 0-3 start, the Warriors have won back-to-back games and Lendeborg has filled his role tremendously.
Yes, he's playing alongside a guy named Stephen Curry, who's been unstoppable the past two games − his 44-point night following a perfect shooting night. Still, Curry can't do it alone and with injuries to Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody, Golden State needs players to step up. Lendeborg has so far.
The 24-year-old rookie has averaged 22.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists over his first five games.
Lendeborg is the first player since
Shaquille O'Neal to average at least 20 points and nine rebounds in his first five career games.
His performances include 31 points in the Warriors' first win of the season, which came on the road against the Denver Nuggets. He added 12 rebounds and six assists. He shot 9-of-19.
He's continued to adapt to the NBA game, staying aggressive and getting easy opportunities at the free throw line. The rookie finished 12-of-13 from the charity stripe against Denver.
Lendeborg joined Hall of Famers Patrick Ewing, David Robinson and O'Neal as the only players in the draft lottery era (since 1985) to put up at least 85 points and 35 rebounds in their first four career games.
He scored 87 points in his first four games, which is second-most for a player in Warriors history behind Wilt Chamberlain. Lendeborg is ahead of Joe Fulks (78 points in 1946-47); Paul Arizin (73 points in 1950-51); Rick Barry (71 points in 1965-66); and Chris Webber (68 points in 1993-94).
Lendeborg is still a rookie and he gets nervous out there, especially playing with Curry and Draymond Green, who have won four NBA championships together and understand what winning looks like.
Curry shot a perfect 8-for-8, scoring 24 points in their win against the Nuggets, but it was Lendeborg who led the team in scoring that night. Lendeborg is continually gaining confidence because the team leaders are encouraging it from him.
"Steph and Draymond's confidence for me," Lendeborg said after their win against the Nuggets. "After the (preseason) game in Hawaii, where I think I had, like, three points, and only took three shots, I asked them just for some guidance, some advice, and they told me to just, you know, try to be confident, be aggressive, and play through mistakes. I'm gonna be in that position to do that."
The advice worked.
"Just hearing that from those two guys, I was coming into the game timid, like, I don't want to mess up what they got going on," Lendeborg said. "They pretty much just gave me free roam. So they helped me out, and from then, I just vowed to be a little more aggressive in each night."
In their 119-114 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 28, Curry scored a season-high 44 points. Lendeborg was the team's secondary option with 26 points and nine rebounds. He had seven turnovers but that's a part of the opportunity for growth that Curry and Green told him about.
His next is in a rematch with the Los Angeles Lakers and their star Luka Dončić after the NBA season opener when Lendeborg had words for the Lakers guard about his play.
"I was telling (Luka) he sucks. He can’t score on me,” Lendeborg said after the game. “You talk and you can’t score on me. I said it the whole game."
Lendeborg said he "lost all respect" for Dončić after the game because the Lakers superstar was complaining to the officials for calls. Dončić scored 28 points on 7-for-18 shooting from the field and added eight rebounds and seven assists.
"It's about him complaining the entire game. And then you get foul call. Congratulations, bro," Lendeborg said. "And then you talk to me, like you did something great, bro. Come on, now. It kind of threw me off for a little while, 'cause, you know, like I said, I had so much respect for him. Gone."
Lendeborg gets his next opportunity Friday, as the Warriors look to win their third consecutive game and get back to .500 on the season as they host the Lakers at the Chase Center in San Francisco. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg is off to a historic start. Think Shaq-like.
