Yaxel Lendeborg
Lendeborg is a rookie (No. 11 pick) who has started the Warriors' first games and is getting heavy minutes while Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody are out.
Role
Per Rotowire citing Nick Friedell of The Athletic, Steve Kerr confirmed Lendeborg would start the opener against the Lakers, and he started most preseason games. ESPN's game log shows 29 minutes in the opener (12 points), 37 minutes against Memphis on 10/23 (18 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals) and 36 minutes at Phoenix on 10/24 (26 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists). Reports describe him as a small forward or power forward. Per NBC Sports Bay Area, Kerr does not want him at center because of the defensive adjustment. I did not find a usage rate or a back-to-back rest plan. The competing wing and forward minutes depend on Butler (knee, recovering from ACL surgery) and Moody (knee, ruptured patellar tendon) per FantasyData, and on Draymond Green and the rest of the roster. The wire note about his rest in a preseason game against Portland is old news and no longer affects his role.
He has been in the starting five with 36 to 37 minutes in two straight games and gives rebounding, passing, shooting and defense. Heavy.com's analysis says he could be the second scoring option behind Curry until Butler returns, with Green not taking shots from him. Kerr said he is "clearly going to play a ton" whether he starts or not, per Rotowire citing ESPN's Anthony Slater. He also won Summer League MVP.
The opening is partly temporary because it comes from injuries. Blue Man Hoop notes that when Butler and Moody return he need not keep a heavy workload or a big on-ball role. He is a 24-year-old rookie with a limited record at the top level of college basketball. Rotowire noted his modest peripheral production and weak free-throw shooting after the debut, and he had six turnovers against Memphis. Kerr's refusal to use him at center narrows the lineups he can anchor.
Where analysts split
The question is how much of his workload lasts once Butler and Moody are back. Optimists see a lasting starter and high-minute player. Skeptics see a starter by default who drops to a smaller rotation role. No return dates for Butler or Moody turned up in what I read, so I can't say when that test comes.
Research confidence: reported. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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