Warriors Summer League: Yaxel Lendeborg-led defense smothers Spurs

SAN FRANCISCO – Yaxel Lendeborg gave himself a passable “B” grade when assessing how he played during his summer league debut, pointing to his lackluster defense as a knock against himself. 

Read more Mexico-England World Cup round of 16 match delayed by 1 hour because of thunderstorm

During the Warriors’ second matchup of the California Classic at Chase Center on Sunday, the team’s recent first-round pick did not take long to make his impact on that side of the floor in Golden State’s 98-69 rout of San Antonio.

On back-to-back possessions, Lendeborg combined with Will Richard to smother one Spur attempt at the rim, and then covered for a botched defensive play by Graham Ike by blocking Miles Kelly’s attempt from seven feet away. 

“I thought, defensively, he did a really good job with his rotations, he was early and proactive, and that’s something we’ve talked to him about,” coach Khalid Robinson said.

The Warriors will likely ask Lendeborg to defend multiple positions during the regular season, and those blocks were an encouraging sign of his ability to do just that. But like every rookie, even an relatively experienced 23-year-old like Lendeborg, inconsistency was still present.

After making all six of his shots and four of his free throws in his debut on Friday, two days later Lendeborg was 0 for 4 from the field and missed both of his foul shots in the first half.

He got off a good start to the second half though, knocking down a 3-pointer and running the fastbreak with Richard and finishing at the rim for a quick five points.

Lendeborg finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and two assists in 24 minutes. Lachlan Olbrich, a second-year bigman, scored 13 points while Chance McMillian had 12 points.

“I just want to play,” McMillian, a Vallejo native, said. “Every time I step in this building, I’m just happy to see everything.”

The Warriors will finish their Chase Center slate on Monday against the Heat at 7 p.m. The game is not be open to the general public. 

Read more Photos: Illegal fireworks spotted in Bay Area, start fires

Will Richard does all of the little things

With the regular Warriors squad, Richard earned his minutes by doing all of the unglamorous things on the court. Diving for loose balls, boxing out, guarding whoever head coach Steve Kerr told him to, and occasionally making a basket. 

After taking on a featured offensive role in the first summer league game, Richard reprised his normal play-style and let his teammates take more shots. Richard attempted just eight shots, making three of them. 

Instead of scoring points, Richard was more focused on making the right defensive rotation, making passes and boxing out. 

Deivon Smith fills up the stat sheet

Summer league is a chance for fans to watch the future stars of the NBA. It is also an opportunity to impress teams – both domestic and abroad – at a pro level.

The California Classic served as a stage for Warriors point guard Deivon Smith. The six-footer from Georgia played for Santa Cruz last season, and the 24-year-old impressed by dishing out 5.4 assists per game. 

Smith made sure to showcase playmaking ability that could translate to a role with a team. He made up for his slight frame by using a nifty handle and plenty of burst to get past his defenders, and then set up teammates with some creative passes. He had four assists, and also grabbed six rebounds and scored 12 points. 

Lajae Jones skies for a dunk, looks more comfortable

Jones, the Warriors’ second-round pick, had a quiet summer league debut on Friday, making only one 3-pointer and playing somewhat timidly against the Lakers and not looking to attack the rim much.

That changed on Sunday. When filling the lane on a fastbreak midway through the first quarter, he skied for a Chance McMillian pass, snatched it with his right and and flushed in an emphatic dunk. 

In the second quarter, he used those springy legs to swat Ja’Kobi Gillespie’s shot into the fifth row. The offense, dunk aside, was still quite rough. But the tools to be an NBA player were evident for Jones. He scored six points, grabbed four rebounds and had three assists. 

Read more Oakland: Three arrested after robberies in the Grand Lake neighborhood