Warriors first-round draft pick Yaxel Lendeborg pushes the ball upcourt in front of Lakers forward Anton Watson during a California Classic game at Chase Center on Friday.
Yalonda M. James/S.F. Chronicle
In the first half of his first summer-league game in a Golden State Warriors uniform, Yaxel Lendeborg morphed into Stephen Curry.
Yes, we’re kidding. Sort of.
Lendeborg, the No. 11 overall pick in last month’s NBA draft, earned widespread praise for his polished, all-around game at Michigan. He played tenacious defense. He was a good passer. He could handle the ball.
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His 3-point shooting typically merited only secondary mention, but it soared to the top of the list in Friday night’s California Classic game at Chase Center. Lendeborg made all four of his shots from long distance — 24 feet, 26 feet, 25 feet, 25 feet — on his way to an impressive Warriors debut.
Golden State Warriors forward Yaxel Lendeborg (1) shoots a 3-pointer against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first half of the 2026 California Classic Summer League at Chase Center in San Francisco on Friday, July 3, 2026.
Yalonda M. James/S.F. Chronicle
Lendeborg finished with 19 points, six assists and five rebounds in 22 minutes — and didn’t miss any of his six shots from the field — as the Warriors rolled to a 104-72 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
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Lendeborg gave himself a “B” grade for his debut, saying he “messed up a lot of defensive rotations.”
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“I played fairly well into the fourth quarter, then kind of got a little sloppy,” he said. “Offensively, I think I was in the right spot and moved the ball well.”
It was only a summer-league game, absolutely. Cameron Carr, not Luka Doncic, headlined the Lakers’ roster. Lendeborg, not Curry, headlined Golden State’s roster. Khalid Robinson, not Steve Kerr, coached the Warriors.
Golden State Warriors forward Yaxel Lendeborg (1) makes a gesture after making a 3-pointer against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first half of the 2026 California Classic Summer League at Chase Center in San Francisco on Friday, July 3, 2026.
Yalonda M. James/S.F. Chronicle
Lendeborg did get lost a few times on defense. He gambled for steals when that wasn’t the smartest play. He committed four turnovers, occasionally dribbling into traffic, and he acknowledged becoming winded in the second half.
Lendeborg, the Warriors’ highest draft pick in five years, still made a striking first impression. He delivered some nice passes, showed off his enormous wingspan and was active on defense.
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Plus he shot the ball with Curry-like precision, at least for one night.
“He showed a little bit of everything in his game,” Robinson said. “Obviously, he shot the ball well to start the game. He had some really good passes, playmaking, defense. There are things to improve on, but it’s a good first start to his career.”
Rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg, the Warriors’ first-round draft pick, tries to find an open teammate while being pressured by Lakers forward AK Okereke in a California Classic game at Chase Center on Friday.
Yalonda M. James/S.F. Chronicle
Lendeborg scored 16 points in the first half, on 5-for-5 shooting from the field (including those four shots from deep). Then, on the first possession of the second half, he posted up his defender, bulled his way to the basket and muscled in a difficult bank shot while drawing the foul (he made the free throw).
The Warriors could use some of that in November and December.
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For the record, Lendeborg shot 37.2% beyond the arc last season at Michigan. His previous two college seasons, at Alabama-Birmingham, he made 33.3% and then 35.7%.
“Every year, my 3-point attempts have gone up tremendously,” Lendeborg said. “This year I’ve taken a big, big jump. I definitely think I could be in the 37-plus range for 3s.”
Golden State Warriors forward Yaxel Lendeborg (1) makes a long footer against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first half of the 2026 California Classic Summer League at Chase Center in San Francisco on Friday, July 3, 2026.
Yalonda M. James/S.F. Chronicle
Or, as Robinson said, “I think he can be a very solid 3-point shooter. He just needs to work on the fundamentals every day and get the reps.”
The Warriors clearly view Lendeborg through a wider lens. They chose him, in part, because of his apparent readiness to step into an NBA rotation right away.
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He spent six years in college — three at Arizona Western (junior college), two at UAB and one at Michigan — and will turn 24 in September, before the start of his rookie season.
“He’s definitely ready,” second-year guard Will Richard said. “I mean, being in college showing the number of years he was (six) and having that experience, it translates well to the NBA — just knowing how to play the right way, knowing how pick up a game faster.”
Warriors first-round draft pick Yaxel Lendeborg (1) celebrates with teammate Lachlan Olbrich (47) during a California Classic game against the Lakers at Chase Center on Friday.
Yalonda M. James/S.F. Chronicle
Lendeborg also offered his first response to Draymond Green’s comments on his podcast earlier this week. Green called Lendeborg a “f— ing liar” for telling reporters Green hadn’t immediately responded to Lendeborg’s text shortly after the NBA draft on June 23.
Green wasn’t angry on the podcast, but he also clearly wasn’t joking. Lendeborg laughed when asked Friday night about the curious exchange.
“Man, he knew what I was talking about — I asked him a question (in the text) and he didn’t respond to the question,” Lendeborg said. “I didn’t say he didn’t respond at all; I should have emphasized that if I didn’t. It’s kind of crazy how it went back and forth like that, but I’m glad he’s able to make a joke out of it.”
Briefly: Richard scored 16 points for the Warriors, going 4-for-5 beyond the arc. … Carr, a small forward from Baylor and the No. 24 overall pick in the draft, led the Lakers with 19 points. … The NBA is testing a “one free throw rule” in summer league games. Per the league, “any foul that would typically result in one, two or three throws will instead result in a single attempt. That attempt will be worth the same total number of points as the free throws it replaces.” So, for example, a player fouled while missing a 3-pointer attempts one free throw — worth three points.