Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob couldn't be more pleased with Yaxel Lendeborg's solid start to his rookie campaign.
"The draft is hard. ... Some teams never get it right, and we got this one right," Lacob told 95.7 The Game on Monday. "I was 100% sold that this was the guy we wanted in the draft."
Lacob admitted he's made some mistakes in previous drafts and deserves to be criticized for those decisions.
The Warriors notably used a pair of lottery picks on James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga. Neither player panned out, and they're both playing elsewhere this season.
Although Lacob was locked in on Lendeborg, there was no guarantee he'd be available when Golden State was on the clock at No. 11. However, Lacob felt good about the Warriors' chances to select him knowing that general managers tend to become enamored with potential.
"NBA GMs just love their 18- and 19-year-olds," Lacob said. "We've all been guilty. ... There's great upside with some of these guys. But this guy seemed like a champion, ready to play.
"The amazing thing is: Everything we thought he could be, he's come in and kind of exceeded that. ... He's surprised (head coach) Steve (Kerr) for sure. He doesn't have any weaknesses."
Lendeborg, 24, is averaging 21.5 points, seven rebounds, and 3.9 assists over his first eight NBA games. The 6-foot-9 forward has given the Warriors some much-needed frontcourt production with Jimmy Butler sidelined and Kristaps Porzingis reportedly pondering retirement.
During his final collegiate season, Lendeborg won Big Ten Player of the Year and earned consensus All-American first-team honors. He played a vital role in helping Michigan capture its first national championship since 1989.
