Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg’s hot start to his NBA career puts him in Hall-of-Fame-level company. Lendeborg ranks third in scoring among rookies through their first 11 games in Warriors franchise history with 235 points. Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain and Rick Barry scored 395 and 237 points, respectively, through their first 11 career games with the franchise. Of the other nine players on the top 10 list, seven of those former Warriors are in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Golden State desperately needed a secondary scorer behind Steph Curry while Jimmy Butler recovers from injury, and Lendeborg has answered the call. The Warriors’ lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft ranks second on the team in scoring with 21.4 points per game.
His scoring has been consistent, with the rookie recording at least 12 points in all but one game. Lendeborg has scored at least 23 points in six of his 11 career games, highlighted by a 37-point performance in a win against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Those points have come in big moments as well, particularly in Saturday’s overtime win over the Orlando Magic, in which Lendeborg led all...