Warriors' Yaxel Lendeborg Shares Plan to Make Steph Curry the GOAT

Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg is not lacking for confidence.

While streaming recently, Lendeborg said Stephen Curry is in the top three of his all-time basketball rankings.

And then he explained why he'll be No. 1 soon.

"After Steph gets this ring this year, he finna be No. 1. Don't worry."

That would be a major surprise, as the Warriors are outside the top 15 in NBA championship odds. But Lendeborg might truly believe the Dubs will win it all.

A little brashness never hurt the health of a basketball team.

Lendeborg Is Bright Spot of Dubs' Offseason

By most accounts, the Warriors have had a dismal offseason. They haven't added anyone new in free agency, and they haven't made a trade.

But Lendeborg offers real hope about the present and future.

The Las Vegas Summer League MVP and Summer League Championship Game MVP looks ready to provide an immediate impact. Most encouragingly, he shot 45.9 percent from three in eight summer-league games.

With Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody out indefinitely with long-term knee injuries, the Warriors have a big need at forward. Expect Lendeborg and Gui Santos to play lots of minutes at the 3 until Butler and Moody return.

At 6'9" and 250 pounds, Lendeborg has great size for either forward spot. But unlike many players his size, he's not limited from the perimeter offensively. The No. 11 pick has great passing instincts, and he can attack a closeout and finish at the rim.

The only major knock on Lendeborg is that he is already 23 years old, and most older rookies have gone on to have disappointing careers. We'll see if Lendeborg bucks that trend.

Where Curry Ranks All-Time

After LeBron James and Michael Jordan, there is an argument for Curry to be in the top three.

I have him lower, but if I were to argue it, I'd say winning four titles in this era is more impressive than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson winning six and five, respectively, in their era.

But if your ranking weighs accolades more than eye test, Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson are among a small group that has a clear edge on Curry.

In any event, Curry winning a fifth title would boost his resume substantially.

It would mean that Curry won a title at 39 years old as the best player on his team (unless the Warriors make a trade for one of the few superstars above him).

Whether that would make him the GOAT is up for debate, but it would be an all-time great accomplishment.

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