Stephen Curry’s absence has created an opportunity for Golden State’s younger players, but stepping into his offensive responsibilities comes with its own challenges. The Warriors need additional scoring options while their franchise superstar recovers, and Yaxel Lendeborg is among those expected to take on more responsibility. However, the rookie has admitted that he is not entirely confident about handling the expectations that come with the opportunity, rating his readiness at just six out of ten.
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Speaking with ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Lendeborg discussed how his approach would change without Curry. The rookie acknowledged that he would have to become more aggressive offensively after previously focusing on supporting the veteran guard.
In his interview with ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Lendeborg explained how he expects his responsibilities to change without Curry.
“I gotta be a lot, lot, lot more aggressive. Definitely have to be more in the score, score person mindset now. My mindset so far has been like, you know, just support Steph. Now it’s more so like, this is more supporting Steph than ever, but just more aggressively, I guess you can say,” Lendeborg explained.
The rookie also identified Brandin Podziemski as another player who could shoulder more of the offensive burden during this stretch. Both will have opportunities to contribute more as Golden State adjusts to playing without its leading scorer.
Curry suffered a right oblique abdominal tear during Golden State’s November 11 matchup against the Houston Rockets. The Warriors announced that he would be reevaluated in two weeks, leaving the team without its leading offensive weapon for the immediate future.
Lendeborg offered an encouraging response in that game, finishing with 25 points and 10 rebounds in 36 minutes. He shot 9-of-19 from the field and made two three-pointers, leading Golden State in scoring despite its 115-108 defeat. Podziemski also contributed 22 points.
That performance gave the Warriors an encouraging indication of what Lendeborg could contribute offensively. However, maintaining that production while taking on greater responsibility will be a different challenge for the rookie.
When Slater asked how comfortable he felt stepping into the expanded role, Lendeborg gave an honest assessment rather than expressing complete confidence. He rated his readiness at six out of ten.
“Probably like 6 out of 10. Honestly, you know, it’s like, it’ll be fun, you know, trying to figure out what ways I can score best or what I gotta do to be able to be an efficient scorer,” Lendeborg said.
His answer reflected both his excitement about developing as a scorer and his awareness of the expectations that come with a larger role. He further explained what accounted for the remaining four points in his confidence rating, admitting that he was still questioning whether he could deliver what the team needed.
“And then the other four is like, man, am I going to be able to live up to it? Am I going to be able to help out the team the way I want to? But you know, time will tell.”
The admission highlights the challenge facing Lendeborg as Golden State adjusts its offense. His 25-point performance against Houston demonstrated his ability to contribute, but the Warriors will need that production to continue while Curry recovers.
For Lendeborg, the opportunity is clear, but proving he can handle it will take time. Whether he and Podziemski can consistently deliver offensively could play an important role in determining how Golden State navigates Curry’s absence.