The Milwaukee Bucks may have handed the Golden State Warriors a gift on draft night.
By selecting Brayden Burries with the 10th overall pick, Milwaukee took one option off the board for Golden State, and that appears to have worked out just fine for the Warriors. ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported again on Thursday that Golden State would have chosen Burries at No. 11 if he had still been there. Instead, they ended up with Yaxel Lendeborg, and the way things are unfolding, that may be looking like a fortunate break.
There’s always a long view with lottery picks, but the early picture suggests Lendeborg is positioned for a much larger rookie-season role than Burries would have had in Golden State. That has plenty to do with fit.
The 24-year-old Lendeborg brings a jumbo 6-foot-9 frame and addresses a clearer need for the Warriors while six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler is out with injury. He’s already lined up for a starting job and heavy minutes, with major responsibility on both ends and especially on offense.
Burries would have walked into a very different setup. Golden State’s guard group already includes Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, De’Anthony Melton and Brandon Williams. It’s possible the Warriors might not have signed both Melton and Williams had they drafted Burries, but the overall point doesn’t change much: Burries would have been fighting for room in a crowded backcourt.
That doesn’t mean Burries is the lesser long-term prospect. The Arizona product could well wind up the better player than Podziemski, Melton and Williams down the line. But in year one, with his age, his role and the fact that he’s coming off the bench for a rebuilding Bucks team, the odds of him immediately outpacing that Warriors guard group were slim.
The Burries-Lendeborg comparison figures to be revisited often as the draft class develops, especially with Golden State having shown real interest in Burries. The front office led by Mike Dunleavy Jr. will be judged against that choice for a while.
And there’s another name in the mix too. Lendeborg’s former Michigan teammate Aday Mara went 12th overall to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and after a rough summer league, he has looked excellent in his first two preseason games. That stretch included a 22-point, six-rebound performance on a perfect 10-for-10 shooting against Burries and the Bucks on Wednesday night.
For now, the early read is simple: between Burries, Lendeborg and Mara, the Warriors probably couldn’t go completely wrong here. But with the first evidence already on the table, they may have landed on the right side of the Bucks’ decision.
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Kerr is entering his 13th season as Golden States head coach, with four championships already on his rsum in that role and five more from his playing days. His willingness to speak out has long been part of the Warriors public image, and while there have been moments of tension around that, Lacobs latest comments suggest the organization is still willing to live with a coach who brings strong convictions as well as winning credentials. [Read more 🡒]