LAS VEGAS – Yaxel Lendeborg has criticized his conditioning, his lack of physicality on defense and his proclivity to lose his assignment on that side of the ball.
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His long-distance shooting, though? No complaints from anyone, not even from Lendeborg himself.
Lendeborg entered Sunday’s matchup against former Michigan teammate Aday Mara’s Oklahoma City Thunder a combined 9 of 13 from behind the arc in four summer league games.
He followed that up by knocking down 4 of 8 3-pointers in an 104-79 victory over the Thunder. After being something of a question mark entering the NBA, Lendeborg’s shooting stroke has been perhaps his biggest asset.
“Everyone who came into the game played with a high level of energy,” Warriors coach Khalid Robinson said.
The rest of Lendeborg’s game was a mixed bag. He ran the pick-and-roll and created a number of great opportunities for Graham Ike and the bigs at the rim, but most went unrewarded.
Lendeborg’s defense left something to be desired. For every active possession where the rookie was stunting properly and navigating screens, there were even more where he aimlessly floated around the action.
Golden State also got 14 points from Lachlan Olbrich and nine points from Will Richard. Mara had 10 points, nine rebounds and one block for the Thunder. LJ Cryer had a team-high five assists for Golden State.
“I feel like I’ve been trying to play the right way and stay within myself,” Cryer said. “Just go out there and be confident.”
Second round pick Lajae Jones had a quieter night than Lendeborg, but still scored 10 points and grabbed five offensive rebounds. His best scoring move was a decisive drive in the second half, one where he did a nifty reverse to avoid the shot-blocker.
Jones has now hit double-figures in scoring in the past two games.
The Warriors will play against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday. Instead of facing another one of Lendeborg’s Michigan teammates, Golden State will have to wrestle with No. 3 overall pick Cameron Boozer.
Guarding Mara
Keeping Mara from dominating was a team effort. Gonzaga alum Graham Ike got the first crack at the Spaniard, and gave him 11 points and one foul. Australian center Lachlan Olbrich was up next, committing six fouls but scoring 14 points and hauling in four rebounds.
Third-year big Malevy Leons also got some run against Mara, and scored nine points and grabbed 11 rebounds.
Lendeborg had one possession where he was matched up with Mara on the block, but the Warriors quickly had a big man switch over and moved him back to the wing.
Nick Boyd gets opportunity
Boyd is, in many ways, the kind of player whose profile could only be made possible by the modern college game. He averaged 20 points per game as a senior at Wisconsin, the final stop in a six-year career that saw him attend three different colleges.
The 25-year-old then caught on with the Warriors’ summer league team in Sacramento. While the big-name prospects were at Chase Center, the combo guard had to make the most of it with long shots and castoffs.
He showed enough to earn a spot on the Las Vegas roster, and ran with the first string during Saturday’s practice at one point. Boyd responded to extended playing time with 14 points on 5 of 6 shooting.
“Nick’s had a great couple of days at practice,” Robinson said. “He’s carried that over to the game, and that’s exactly what you want any guy to do.”
New assistant coach on the way?
With the departure of Jerry Stackhouse and Terry Stotts, the Warriors have been searching for new assistant coaches to fill out Steve Kerr’s staff. Marc Stein reported on Sunday that the Warriors are closing in on a deal with former Lakers and Pacers head coach Frank Vogel.
Vogel helped lead Los Angeles to the 2020 NBA title, a squad led by current free agent and Warriors target LeBron James.
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