Warriors forward Yaxel Lendeborg just faced an absolute trial by fire on defense, admitting after the game, “I messed up a bunch of coverages today.” It was a rough night for the 24-year-old in Golden State’s preseason win over the Lakers, one that highlights just how steep the NBA learning curve really is.
The Luka Dončić Dodge
Before the game even tipped off in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Lendeborg was just chilling on his phone, as a 24-year-old does, when Warriors’ newly hired defensive mind Frank Vogel walked up. “Hey,” Vogel dropped, “You’re guarding Luka (Dončić) tonight.” Imagine that, man. Lendeborg, who himself said “What the f-?”, tried to play it cool, but he was straight-up “spooked.” Vogel even told him Dončić dropped 33.5 points a game last season, the most in the league, and gave him the ultimate pep talk: “Nobody can stop him. Do your best.” Talk about being thrown into the deep end! But here’s the kicker: Dončić sat the game out for rest. So that much-anticipated showdown never even materialized. What a rollercoaster of emotions for the kid!
The Unexpected Battle with Kessler
Instead of guarding Luka, head coach Steve Kerr decided to toss Lendeborg into a completely different kind of crucible. Across three separate stretches, totaling over six minutes, Lendeborg found himself playing center for Golden State. His opponent? The Lakers’ 7-2 Walker Kessler, making his preseason debut. And honestly, it wasn’t particularly pretty. In the first quarter, we saw Lendeborg backpedaling trying to stick with Kessler, only to watch Austin Reaves bump Brandin Podziemski for an easy layup. Later, in the second quarter, Lendeborg failed to box out Kessler on a tip dunk. Then Reaves, again, blew right past him because Lendeborg was too flat-footed off a pick-and-roll. Lakers head coach JJ Redick had been “really impressed” by Lendeborg pregame, but he nevertheless made a point of attacking the rookie’s defense. By halftime, Lendeborg’s shoulders were drooped, and he was shuffling around the court, looking like a kid who just got chewed out. You could feel the frustration.
“Can’t Do What I Did In College”
After the game, Lendeborg didn’t shy away from it. He knows he’s got work to do. “Just learning my coverages, man,” he told the Chronicle. “I messed up a bunch of coverages today. I was in the wrong spots a lot of times, and I just keep putting myself out of position.” He knows he needs “a lot of questions that I need to ask, and a lot more reps.” At 7-foot-3 with a massive 7-foot-3 wingspan and over 240 pounds, the Warriors like his size against wing scorers, but this center gig is a whole new beast. Especially since he expects to play the “5-man role” in a lot of games due to the team’s situation with bigs. So, what’s next for Lendeborg? He’s planning “a lot of self-reflecting and a lot of asking questions, watching film these next two days.” He’s got to get right, and fast.
This is just preseason, but the stakes for Lendeborg are real. He’s got to lock in on those coverages and defensive positioning, because the team clearly needs him in that center spot, and he’s got a lot of film study and asking questions ahead of him these next few days. You gotta love the honesty, but now it’s time to see the adjustments before the regular season really kicks into gear.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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