Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr pushed back this week on rookie Yaxel Lendeborg’s claim that he shut down Luka Doncic in his individual defensive matchups, even as the Lakers blew out the Warriors on opening night.
Doncic scored 28 points as the Lakers routed Golden State on Wednesday night. Afterward, Lendeborg kept talking, saying he’d “lost all respect” for Doncic over what he called “whining” to officials, and pointing out that he personally held Doncic to 1-of-5 shooting when the two were matched up directly.
Kerr wasn’t interested in that distinction.
“Who the eff cares?” Kerr said. “He did a good job on Luka 1-on-1, but we got torched by Luka as a team. I don’t care. … It’s like, they scored 120 on us. That stuff’s all bulls–t. It’s our defense. He knows that. I talked to him the other day. Our defense was not good regardless of him individually when he guarded the ball.”
Lendeborg finished the game with 12 points, four personal fouls and one technical foul in 29 minutes of play.
Kerr also gave the rookie specific feedback on his overall game, saying Lendeborg needs to pick up his pace on the floor.
“He’s a little bit of a coaster,” Kerr said. “I want to see him run the floor harder. I think that will open up a lot of opportunities. He’s so skilled and big that if we get him to run the court — both ways — a little harder, a little faster, he’s going to end up finding the ball more and be more of a threat.”
Lendeborg faces another high-profile matchup Friday in the Warriors’ home opener against the Memphis Grizzlies, where he’ll see Cameron Boozer, the No. 3 overall pick out of Duke, for the first time in the NBA. Boozer was drafted eight spots ahead of Lendeborg and has said he circled the matchup on his calendar.
Doncic and the Lakers return to face the Warriors at Chase Center next Friday, setting up a rematch between Lendeborg and the Lakers star.
Despite his criticism of the rookie’s defensive priorities, Kerr said he has no problem with Lendeborg’s competitive streak, echoing a point made by teammate Steph Curry that talk has to be backed up with results.
“I love the young guy. He’s really talented. I love his competitiveness,” Kerr said. “Like I said, I didn’t mind the stuff the other day. But as Steph said, you’ve got to back it up. That’s the thing. We play the Lakers again next week, so, OK, here you go.”
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