A rookie on a veteran-heavy Warriors roster is already showing the kind of approach Golden State needs.
Yaxel Lendeborg, who is 24 and old by rookie standards, has drawn praise from both Stephen Curry and Steve Kerr for how open he is to instruction. Kerr has pointed to Lendeborg’s coachability and how receptive he’s been, while Curry and Kerr both urged him to be more aggressive after the team’s preseason opener. Lendeborg responded in Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers by looking much more assertive and confident on the floor.
He has also said he texted Curry and Draymond Green after that preseason opener to get their feedback on what he needed to improve.
That kind of attitude matters for a team built around older, injury-prone players. Lendeborg may be surrounded by veteran voices, but that also gives him a chance to absorb a lot of experience and leadership that can help shape his game.
There’s always a risk with young players that they arrive convinced they already have all the answers. Lendeborg doesn’t come across that way.
He has confidence, but not the kind that shuts out advice. For a Warriors team hoping to get anything meaningful out of this season, that matters.
His relationship with Draymond Green will be especially important. Green’s role with the team will be watched closely, particularly with some viewing Lendeborg as his eventual replacement.
If the two can work well together, that would only help both sides. Green has plenty to teach, and part of his value to Golden State is as a mentor.
If Green can pass along that knowledge and help Lendeborg grow, it could even strengthen the case for keeping him around, even if he isn’t the player he once was.
Golden State needs the veterans and the younger players, including Lendeborg and Brandon Podziemski, pulling in the same direction. That kind of connection would help the Warriors now and give them something to build on later. Lendeborg’s willingness to learn is a very encouraging sign.
In Other News...
Warriors Just Kept Podziemski Without Closing Off A Bigger Move
Brandin Podziemski is staying in Golden State for the long haul after the Warriors signed the young guard to an extension that secures him through at least the 2030-31 season. It is the kind of move that fits the teams bigger picture, locking in a promising piece while signaling that the front office still sees him as part of what comes next.
The details matter here because the Warriors did more than simply reward Podziemski. The structure of the deal was built to preserve some financial room as they keep sorting through future roster plans, leaving the door open for bigger moves rather than shutting it. That balance, between keeping a homegrown guard and maintaining flexibility, may end up being the most important part of the story. [Read more 🡒]
Ben Simmons Gets An Early Shot To Haunt The Warriors
Ben Simmons is lined up to make his Sacramento Kings debut against the Warriors, a tidy little preseason wrinkle for a team that had at least some offseason interest in him. Simmons had been held out of the Kings' first two preseason games, so his first chance to get on the floor in a Sacramento uniform is arriving against a familiar opponent that spent part of the summer weighing whether he fit into its plans.
For Golden State, the matchup adds another layer to a game already being watched closely because Simmons has not appeared in an NBA game since the 2024-25 season. There is intrigue both in how the Kings plan to use him positionally and in how the Warriors will look back on their decision to pass, especially with a player of Simmons' profile now returning to action in a uniform that is not theirs. [Read more 🡒]
Stephen Curry Just Put Pressure On The Warriors Front Office
Stephen Currys latest extension keeps him tied to Golden State, but it also sharpened the focus on what has changed around him. Since the Warriors 2022 championship run, the roster has seen only limited reshaping, and the club heads toward the 2026-27 season with modest outside expectations, shaped as much by health concerns as by the lack of major additions. The clock is already ticking toward an Oct. 21 opener on the road against the Lakers, a setting that tends to expose where a team really stands.
Currys comments about the state of the roster landed with extra weight because he is no longer speaking like a star simply enjoying the ride. By signing on again, he effectively doubled down on Golden States direction, but his remarks also underscored the pressure on the front office to keep pace with the realities of an aging core and a thin margin for error. However the season starts, the Warriors are carrying more than familiar championship expectations now, and Curry made sure that point is hard to miss. [Read more 🡒]