Overview
- Lendeborg’s jump started at media day on Monday when coaches and veterans praised his size, ball skills and readiness after he won Summer League MVP and led the Warriors’ summer team to the title.
- Head coach Steve Kerr said Lendeborg “checks all those boxes” for versatility and that the team expects him to play a large role while the rotation is still being sorted in training camp.
- Veterans including Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler publicly committed to mentoring Lendeborg and keeping him aggressive on offense as the club manages his workload over the 82-game season.
- Golden State’s urgency to integrate Lendeborg comes because Butler and Moses Moody are out long term with major knee injuries and GM Mike Dunleavy confirmed Kristaps Porzingis will miss this week’s Hawaii training camp for a health issue.
- Lendeborg is a 6-foot-9, 240-pound, 24-year-old with five college seasons (Arizona Western, UAB, Michigan) whose maturity and physical profile give the Warriors a near-term answer at wing and potential longer-term building block.