DeMarcus Cousins isn’t waiting long to plant his flag in the Rookie of the Year race, and he’s doing it with Golden State rookie Yaxel Lendeborg front and center.
On a recent episode of the Run It Back show, the former Warriors big man said he sees Darius Acuff as his top choice, but Lendeborg is right behind him.
“I think Yaxel has a chance at being Rookie of the Year this year. Darius Acuff is the lead candidate for me, but after him, I’m going with Yaxel, with the ability to shoot the ball, put it on the floor, rebound, and get to the basket,” Cousins explained.
Cousins didn’t stop there. He said the rookie’s game still has more to reveal, and he expects the buzz to keep building as the year rolls on.
“This kid has a lot of talent that hasn’t really been showcased yet, and I think it will continue to show as the season goes on. So, I’m really high on this kid.
I think he’s going to be a household name by the end of the season. If everybody is healthy, I do think [the Warriors] have a chance of getting into the playoffs,” the former Warriors player further added.
What stands out in Cousins’ view is how Lendeborg fits the moment. He’s not being asked to wait his turn behind a long line of stars.
He’s already locked into a starting spot for a team looking for a dependable second scoring option behind Stephen Curry. At 6’9″ with a 7’3″ wingspan, Lendeborg brings a combination Golden State can use on both ends: inside scoring, perimeter defense, shot blocking, and enough versatility to take advantage when defenses overload on Curry.
The preseason only added fuel to that optimism. Lendeborg put up 15.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting 56.9% from the field and 43.8% from three-point range in fewer than 24 minutes per game. Stretch those numbers across regular-season minutes, and the projection gets loud fast - potentially over 20.0 points a night.
That’s why the rookie will draw plenty of attention when he starts at center on opening night against the Lakers the day after tomorrow (October 21). The promise is obvious. Now comes the part where he has to show it.
Cousins isn’t the only former player sounding bullish. Matt Barnes and Kevin Garnett have also praised Lendeborg’s game and the way he carries himself.
“I like Yaxel, f*cking killer, big kid, not afraid of the moment, a s-t talker. He made a post today with a picture of him giving Draymond a high five, and he called him like ‘Granddaddy’ or something, so not afraid of the moment, big s-t talker.
One of those kids that stayed in college; I think he’s 23 or 24 now as a rookie, so he’s ready to go. I really like him,” Barnes said in a recent appearance on All the Smoke podcast.
Garnett was just as direct while talking about the rookie on KG Certified.
“Given the kid from Michigan, I love him. I think he’s going to be the 1st part of the rebuilding of having young pieces in there.
That kid, actually, you can give him the ball, and he can get some money, bro. He got that star game… He’s strong,” Kevin Garnett said on an episode of the KG Certified podcast.
He also pointed to Lendeborg’s maturity and approach.
“I don’t know if everybody understands; I think he’s a little older than everybody too. He’s a little more mature.
He bounced around a little bit, but he has a mature game. I think what they wanted with Wiseman and Kuminga, they’re getting with this kid because this kid has a throttle, but he’s low throttle.
He doesn’t seem like he has an ego,” Garnett concluded.
With Cousins, Barnes, and Garnett all publicly backing him, Lendeborg’s name is getting louder before his first real test even arrives. The preseason numbers, the role, and the praise are all pointing the same direction.
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