Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has claimed that Yaxel Lendeborg was not happy with his performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Warriors have now won back-to-back games after starting the season with three consecutive losses. Their season looks to be back on track now, and Lendeborg has definitely played his part.
Even against the Timberwolves, the 24-year-old produced a number of outstanding moments, but there were a few others that showed he needs to improve.
Steve Kerr says Yaxel Lendeborg was feeling ‘terrible’ in the locker room
Lendeborg recorded 26 points and eight rebounds in 35 minutes for the Warriors in their 119-114 win over the Timberwolves on Wednesday night.
Usually, such a return is rewarded with a lot of praise, and he would be the hero in the locker room after the game. But that was not the case.
That’s because Lendeborg committed seven turnovers in the game, which he knows is not good enough at this level. He just can’t be doing that.
That is why he was devastated in the locker room after the game, despite all the other positives.
Kerr said in his press conference: “We just show him the film and get him to understand time and score. The general idea is, if you have an advantage, take it. If you don’t, don’t try to force it. And he tried to force a bunch of plays tonight.
“It’s his fifth game in the NBA. So, I’m really excited. I’m almost glad that’s happened. So, he feels it. He feels terrible in there. He’s not happy at all.
“And yet, he had 26 points and eight boards in his fifth NBA game. So, it’s a great lesson for him. The simple play is the best one, over and over and over again.
“And we have enough guys already on this team who are going to turn it over. So he needs to be solid. He needs to learn the value of just making the simple play.”
Lendeborg not being happy with the turnovers he conceded in a game where he scored 26 points to help his side win speaks volumes about his mentality.
It would be easy to ignore the negatives and just focus on the positives, but the fact that he was so upset shows he has the perfect mentality.
However, as Kerr said, he’s only five games into his NBA career, so we’re sure moments like these will help him, not hurt him.
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