Stephen Curry is out with an oblique tear, an injury that rips through the Warriors’ eight-game winning streak and puts their hot start on ice. This isn’t a small thing, folks. We’re talking at least two weeks, maybe more, and that means he’ll miss at least six games. His MVP-level play was carrying them, and without him, their margin for error just vanished. The party ended with the Rockets game, and now the real grind begins.
The New Reality: Surviving Without A Superstar
Look, we all know what happens when a team loses its superstar. The basics become absolutely critical. For the Warriors, that means they have to stop turning the ball over. That’s always been a problem, but now it’s a death sentence. They also need to own the glass. They’re already a good rebounding team, and with bigger lineups, they should be even better. Those offensive boards? Gold. If they’re gonna struggle to score, they better get second chances. Winning the possession game is everything now. Every single play has to be sharper, because the ultimate bailout player is off the floor.
Yaxel Lendeborg’s Moment To Shine
But beyond the general adjustments, there’s one player who absolutely *has* to level up: Yaxel Lendeborg. This 24-year-old rookie is suddenly the Warriors’ best player, and he needs to play like an All-Star. His stats already pop: 21.7 points, 3.7 assists, 1.08 steals, and 2.417 threes per game. He’s proven he can carry a team. We saw it against the Clippers when Curry was out. He dropped 37 points, six assists, six threes, and only one turnover. That’s go-to guy stuff, even if the Clippers were one of the worst teams in the league.
Draymond Green didn’t mince words after the Rockets game, where Lendeborg still went for 25 points and 10 rebounds even after Curry got hurt. Draymond told him, straight up, “Steph wasn’t out there. [Durant] was off the court. You look around, you’re probably the best player on the floor. Regardless of team. I think there was a point where he realized like, ‘Oh, ding ding ding.’ And he started attacking, and the game flipped for us.” That’s the mindset Lendeborg needs to embrace. Draymond added, “I think that’s something he’s going to have to realize really fast, is like, there will be often times where he could possibly be the best player on the floor regardless of the team. And we need him to show that, and he doesn’t have a problem doing it.” That aggression, that iso scoring, the creation for others, fueling transition attacks,that’s all on Lendeborg’s shoulders now.
The pressure is real, and it starts fast. Lendeborg and the Warriors get Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs on Friday. It’s time to see if the rookie can truly embrace being the top dog. Can he keep this team afloat? We’re about to find out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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