Yaxel Lendeborg has wasted no time making the Warriors look different, and Ramona Shelburne thinks the rookie has already shifted how Golden State sees its future.
During her Monday appearance on ESPN, Shelburne said Lendeborg’s fast start has done more than just help the team win early games. It has changed the way the organization views what comes next.
“Yaxel Lendeborg has been so good that it's changed their outlook. They think they have another star next to Steph already,” Shelburne said.
That kind of praise is landing because Lendeborg has backed it up on the floor. Through 10 games, he has put himself squarely into the Rookie of the Year conversation with numbers that jump off the page: 21.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and four assists per game. He is shooting 50.4% from the field, 40.4% from 3-point range and 75.8% from the free-throw line.
The rookie’s arrival comes after a standout college run that ended with a national championship at Michigan, where he helped lead the Wolverines to the title in his final year. Now he is bringing that momentum into the NBA and giving Golden State a real boost while Jimmy Butler III is out recovering from ACL rehab.
"Yaxel Lendeborg has been so good that it's changed their outlook. They think they have another star next to Steph already."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 9, 2026
Ramona Shelburne speaks on how Yaxel Lendeborg has already changed the outlook of the Warriors 🗣️
(via @ESPNNBA) pic.twitter.com/CmKANmSxks
Stephen Curry has also opened the season on a blistering pace, and together the two have helped push the Warriors into the early playoff mix. Golden State is 7-3 and sitting fifth in the Western Conference, ahead of the Houston Rockets and the Memphis Grizzlies and behind the Minnesota Timberwolves and the San Antonio Spurs.
The Warriors’ next chance to keep that momentum going comes at home on Nov. 9 at 10 p.m. ET.
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