Steve Kerr often has come under fire for how he uses rookies in the Warriors’ system.Trying to integrate themselves within a motion-based offense that revolves around Steph Curry, many of Golden State’s recent draft picks have failed to earn Kerr’s trust or make an immediate impact.
But Yaxel Lendeborg, the No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, is doing just that.
Through five games, Lendeborg leads the Warriors in minutes and rebounds, while ranking second in points per game behind only Curry with 22.6.
During an interview with 95.7 The Game’s “Willard and Dibs” on Thursday, Kerr described how Lendeborg has already carved out a major role.
“That first preseason game, he only took a few shots in Hawaii against the [Los Angeles] Clippers, and we all kind of talked to him, Steph, [Draymond Green], coaches like, ‘Hey, you got to be aggressive for us,’ and then all of a sudden, a couple preseason games where you see him attacking and scoring what he’s capable of doing,” Kerr said. “It’s like, all right, this guy is a little...