After a stellar performance on Monday, Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg earned high praise from coach Steve Kerr for his skill set and potential.
Lendeborg led the Warriors to a 134-114 win over the Denver Nuggets, recording 31 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and one blocked shot. He went 9-for-19 from the field, including 1-for-8 from 3-point range, and finished a plus-27 in 30 minutes, 49 seconds of work.
The 11th overall pick became the first Warriors rookie since Stephen Curry in February 2010 with at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a game. He went 12-for-13 from the free-throw line, a pleasant surprise in his first win of the season.
"I had 13 free throws; that is crazy, that is absurd for me," Lendeborg said. "On a night where I can't make a 3 for nothing, it is crazy that this is my best game so far because it was very frustrating for me, but I'm just glad we got our first win. I'm very happy about that. I would have cried if we lost again, but I'm just happy to get one on the board."
Lendeborg is averaging 21.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists and one steal while shooting 34.6% from 3-point range in four appearances. He is second in rookie scoring and is already one of three first-year players with a 30-point game (Darius Acuff Jr., Caleb Wilson).
The 24-year-old has emerged as a starter for the short-handed Warriors, adding offensive versatility and a strong rebounding presence. He is also putting tremendous pressure on the rim and creating opportunities to get to the free-throw line.
Kerr has said Lendeborg has been a bit erratic at times and has been behind defensively on the weak side, but he is confident he can fix those issues. The team values what he can bring to the court and is eager to watch him develop nightly.
"He is strong as an ox and skilled," Kerr said. "The way the game is played, he is going to be able to get to the line a ton. In all of the critical moments of the game, we just put the ball in his hands, and for a rookie to be that advanced already, it is extremely rare. But it is exciting because I think he is going to get a lot better."
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Warriors' Steve Kerr names 'rare' trait of rookie Yaxel Lendeborg