Steve Kerr criticizes ‘very poor' part of Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg's game

Steve Kerr criticizes ‘very poor' part of Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg's game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors are 0-3 and still in search of their first win of the 2026-27 NBA season, but rookie Yaxel Lendeborg has been a major bright spot to start the campaign, averaging 18.7 points and 8.3 rebounds while starting every game.

But that does not mean he can’t improve. Speaking to reporters Saturday’s loss to the Suns, Warriors coach Steve Kerr pinpointed where he needs to see Lendeborg improve his game in order to be the ideal star for the franchise.

Steve Kerr on Yaxel Lendeborg's defense:

"His weak-side awareness right now is very poor. And with his size, he should be one of our best defenders at the rim. And right now, he's unaware on the weak-side" pic.twitter.com/g5cGzAqdqS

— Oh No He Didn't 🤯 (@ohnohedidnt24) October 25, 2026

“He’s fearless and he’s huge and he’s got a great skill set,” Kerr told reporters. “He can dribble, pass, and shoot. The biggest thing is just continuing to learn the NBA, and he’s going to feel that, he’s going to do that. He had a play in the first half [against the Suns on Oct. 24] where he got free and then he launched himself into [Suns big man Khaman Maluach]. We saw that play a few times [on Oct. 23 against the Grizzlies] with Edey [Grizzlies big man Zach Edey].

“That’s got to be a pull-up jumper. That’s got to be a Euro step. That’s got to be a kick it out. In college, he could do that, but this is a different league, and he’ll learn. He’s playing a ton, and he’s going to get all these reps, and we’re going to keep showing him film, and he’ll get better and better. The defensive side is where I want to see the most improvement, though. His weak side awareness right now is very poor, and with his size, he should be one of our best defenders at the rim. Right now, he’s unaware on the weak side, and that’s an area he really has to improve.”

Lendeborg took the league by storm as soon as the Warriors selected him with the No. 11 overall pick in this year’s draft. Leading the team to a summer league title, he won MVP for both the championship game and the entire summer league after averaging 14.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists.

Lendeborg has faced tough tests early on, guarding Lakers star Luka Dončić on opening night. That game, Dončić dropped 28 points and led all players in the game in scoring. It is games like that could be good lessons to help him improve and become a defensive anchor.

The Warriors take the floor again on Monday night, when they travel to Denver to face the Nuggets. The Nuggets have a lot of scorers on their team, headlined by three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić, making it a crucial defensive game. Lendeborg will need to put his best foot forward if he wants to lead Golden State to its first win of the season.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast