This Franchise Has Found This Story Before
Yaxel Lendeborg's preseason line echoes a rookie forward who once slotted into a title roster without needing the spotlight.
Lendeborg led Golden State in scoring and rebounding this preseason while shooting efficiently in a bench role, the kind of fit this franchise has valued before. In 1974-75, a rookie forward did the same thing for a championship team, and the comparison says something about what this current roster actually needs.
What Lendeborg did in October
Yaxel Lendeborg led the Warriors in preseason scoring at 15.6 points and rebounding at 7.4, ranking second in assists at 4.0, shooting 56.9 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from three in under 24 minutes a game. Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area called him the preseason's biggest winner. He also had 17 points in the win at the Lakers on October 13.
Wilkes arrived the same way
Golden State did not need Wilkes to be a star in 1974-75. Barry was already the Finals MVP, and the title came from a roster that fit together under Attles. Wilkes filled space without forcing the issue, and the Rookie of the Year award followed the production, not the other way around.
Why fit matters more than fanfare now
Curry is 38 and in his 17th season. Green is 36 and in his 14th. Butler is 37, out with a knee issue, and Porzingis is out indefinitely with no cause reported beyond undisclosed. A core this age cannot absorb another possession-heavy player; it needs someone who does less damage to the whole by needing less from it. Lendeborg's shooting efficiency in limited minutes reads exactly that way.
The roster reality behind it
Golden State carries $223.3 million in salary, well past the $200.4 million luxury tax line, with Curry at $62.6 million and Butler at $56.8 million the two biggest numbers. A rookie on a cheap deal who produces without needing touches is not a luxury for this roster. It is close to a necessity.
Who is Yaxel Lendeborg?
He is a rookie forward who led the Warriors in scoring and rebounding this preseason, averaging 15.6 points and 7.4 rebounds while shooting 56.9 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from three in under 24 minutes a game.
Has a Warriors rookie filled this kind of role before?
Yes. Jamaal Wilkes won Rookie of the Year in 1974-75 playing alongside Finals MVP Rick Barry on the team that swept the Washington Bullets for the championship.
