Why Yaxel Lendeborg Has a Case to Win NBA Rookie of the Year

The Golden State Warriors have had a relatively quiet offseason as they did not make many moves to add to their rotation. However, one of the highlights of their summer was the NBA Draft, where they drafted forward Yaxel Lendeborg out of Michigan with the 11th overall pick. Lendeborg has a lot of promise, and he's one of the more experienced incoming rookies this season. By the time the season starts, he will be 24 years old, and physically, he's ready for the NBA. Yaxel Lendeborg stands at 6'9, 241 pounds, making him able to go toe-to-toe with some of today's forwards in the league. Offensively, he's known for being someone who likes to go downhill and score inside, but he is more versatile than one may think. In his last season at Michigan, he shot 37.2 percent from three-point range. In this year's summer league, he showed off that kind of versatility as he had games where he was efficient from downtown and also got to the basket when he needed to. He played well enough in the summer to help the Warriors win the Summer League championship. The hope now is that his game can translate to regular NBA speed, and Golden State should feel confident he can do so. When the season starts, Yaxel Lendeborg will be coming off the bench, and it will likely be that way because Moses Moody and Jimmy Butler will eventually return. Still, he could be that key piece off the bench. One issue the Warriors have on their roster right now is depth. There is an overall lack of scoring, and Lendeborg could be the one the coaching staff calls upon to take up the scoring load from the bench. The Warriors have a high enough ceiling to make a postseason appearance, and if Lendeborg can play his role well and the team sees winning, he can make a strong case for Rookie of the Year. One of the best things going for Yaxel Lendeborg is the fact that he has great veteran leadership to count on. Playing with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green could allow him to see different aspects of the game, and he could use that to his advantage. If he can manage to build a connection with those two moving forward, then he could be in for a big first season, and the Warriors could surprise teams in the Western Conference. Best Newest first Oldest first