Why Yaxel Lendeborg could be the key to saving what's left of the Warriors' Stephen Curry era

The Warriors have been wrong about a lot, but they appear to have been absolutely right about the No. 11 pick in June's draft After Yaxel Lendeborg decided to start a war of words with Luka Dončić both during and after his first NBA game last week --more or less calling one of the best players in the world a crybaby for whom he "lost all respect" -- both Stephen Curry and Steve Kerr remarked that they were fine with the don't-give-a-damn brashness of the Warriors' rookie. Curry and Kerr even said that they liked it, but with the caveat that he would, of course, have to "back it up." How's that going so far? Well, put it this way: If Lendeborg keeps playing like this, the only other thing he's going to have to back up is a Brinks truck to collect his next contract. Through his first five games, the No. 11 overall pick is averaging 22.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and four assists. Those are not just All-Star numbers. Those are historic numbers. Let's break them down. Let's start with the basics: Lendeborg is the first Warriors rookie since Stephen Curry to score at least 25 points in three straight games. That's more of a footnote considering Golden State's many draft whiffs over the last 15 years, but still, this is no easy feat over any three-game rookie stint, let alone inside the first two weeks of your career. Video 12Audio 3Audio 41/1 Skip Ad Continue watching after the adVisit Advertiser websiteGO TO PAGE