Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green praised rookie Yaxel Lendeborg’s potential and highlighted the importance of veteran leadership after the Warriors beat the Denver Nuggets 134-114 on Monday night for their first win of the season.
Lendeborg finished with 31 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in his fourth NBA game, dominating despite shooting 1-for-8 from three-point range. Green, who has been mentoring the 24-year-old, said the rookie’s ability to make an immediate impact without fully understanding the NBA game makes his performance particularly impressive.
“When you don’t know the NBA game, you’re already at a deficit,” Green said. “And to be able to have the ability to go out there and still do that, not knowing what the NBA really truly brings on a nightly basis, is special.”
Green was especially encouraged by how quickly Lendeborg absorbs instructions. The Warriors veteran said he finds himself constantly offering advice during games, and the rookie has shown an ability to apply it almost immediately.
“I find myself talking to him the entire game just telling him something different,” Green said. “And I think what’s most is he can apply it right away. You tell him something and he comes down the next play and it happens, he applies it right away. So that’s special in itself.”
Green explained that passing on his experience to younger players is part of his responsibility, crediting the veterans who helped him develop throughout his own career.
“Without the vets that I had, I would not have had the career that I’ve had. And so you owe that back,” Green said. “You just try to pour into those guys, teach them everything, and then you watch them blossom. And when you watch them blossom, it feels incredible.”
Green also discussed defending Nikola Jokic, who recorded 19 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists in the loss. Green emphasized that containing the Denver center requires a coordinated defensive effort rather than individual brilliance.
“It’s never an individual effort against him,” Green said. “If everybody’s not on the same page, you can be as great as you want to be individually, but if you’re not on the same page with the rest of the guys, he’s going to dice your entire defense up.”
After Golden State’s defensive struggles in its first three games, Green said Monday’s performance was a step forward but not the finished product.
“We want to hang our hat on the defensive end, and we haven’t lived up to that the first three games,” he said. “Tonight it was a lot better, but we got to continue to build on that. You got to create an identity, and we haven’t created that identity yet.”
Green also stressed that the Warriors need contributions from across the roster rather than relying on Stephen Curry to rescue them every night. Golden State will visit the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday.
