Yaxel Lendeborg has already shown the Golden State Warriors he is not a typical rookie.
The No. 11 overall pick has played with poise and production through the early season, and Friday night in San Antonio will offer the biggest stage yet.
The Warriors face the Spurs in an NBA Cup game, and Lendeborg will share the floor with Victor Wembanyama for the first time.
Before tip-off at the Frost Bank Center, the Michigan product outlined a specific approach. Speaking with reporters, he noted Wembanyama’s defensive presence.
“Well, he has like five blocks. He’s going to be in help a lot. And obviously, you see all the stats that he’s put up,” Lendeborg said. “The most recent was like 52 to 24. Like, that’s crazy.”
From there he described his own intentions.
“So, you know me. I’m going to try to shoot as many threes as I can tonight. You know, just try to bait him into, you know, helping out. Maybe we get some more kickouts,” Lendeborg said. “Oh, and try to rough him up as much as we can.”
The numbers support the caution. Wembanyama currently leads the NBA in blocks at 4.4 per game while averaging 30.3 points and 11.7 rebounds.
His recent 52-point, 24-rebound, eight-block night against Dallas underscored the difficulty of the matchup. San Antonio arrives on a 10-game winning streak, and both teams enter the contest 1-0 in West Group C of the NBA Cup.
Golden State will navigate the game without Stephen Curry.
The superstar exited Wednesday’s loss in Houston with right abdominal soreness and has been ruled out. In that game Lendeborg responded with 25 points and 10 rebounds, the kind of line that has become increasingly common.
Through 12 games he is averaging 21.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 42.6 percent from three-point range. His 37-point outburst against the Clippers earlier this season marked the highest scoring total by a Warriors rookie since Curry’s own debut year in 2010.
Last November the Warriors swept both meetings in San Antonio, with Curry scoring 46 and 49 points. This time the responsibility shifts toward a first-year player who has already earned substantial trust.
Lendeborg’s willingness to talk about baiting help defense and physicality reflects the same confidence that has marked his early NBA career.
Whether the threes fall and the plan creates the openings he expects will be answered once the ball goes up against the league’s most disruptive defender and a Spurs team that has not lost in more than two weeks.
