Yaxel Lendeborg had an eventual NBA debut for the Golden State Warriors as they fell to the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, October 21, 105-127. The rookie forward found himself guarding Luka Doncic, with the pair getting into multiple verbal altercations throughout the night.
Despite Lendeborg's war of words with the Lakers superstar, he still found ways to impress, despite having such a tough matchup. The rookie ended the game with 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and one steal on 5-of-11 shooting. According to NBA Stats, Lendeborg held Doncic to 1-of-5 shooting, forcing two turnovers during their 2:58 of being matched up. He did, however, give up three fouls, which Doncic ensured to make the most of, going 6-for-6 from the line.
For his first
taste of competitive NBA basketball, Lendeborg gave a good account of himself. Interestingly, his performance came just two days after DeMarcus Cousins shared his belief that Lendeborg could be in with a shot at contending for the Rookie of the Year award.
"I think Yaxel has a chance of being Rookie of the Year this year," Cousins said during an Oct. 19 episode of FanDuel TV's 'Run It Back.' "Darius Acuff Jr is a lead candidate for me, but after him I'm going with Yaxel. The ability to shoot the ball, put it on the floor, rebound, get to the basket. This kid has a lot of talent that hasn't been showcased as of yet...I'm really high on this kid. I think he's going to be a household name by the end of the season."
Lendeborg will face some stern competition for the Rookie of the Year award. The 2026 draft class was incredibly deep and highly talented. However, if what we saw from him against the Lakers was a sign of things to come, there's no reason to believe Lendeborg couldn't emerge as a contender as the season progresses.
Of course, the Warriors won't care whether Lendeborg is in the Rookie of the Year race or not, as long as he's producing on the court and developing with the team. After all, he has the potential to be a key piece moving forward, while also being an impactful part of the rotation right now, and that's exactly what the franchise needs.
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This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Former Warriors big man makes bold Yaxel Lendeborg prediction
