Yaxel Lendeborg is just six games into his NBA career with the Golden State Warriors, but he’s already made a big impression on and off the court.

Lendeborg was drafted 11th overall out of Michigan and came off a National Championship with Big Blue. He was 24 by the time his rookie season started, meaning expectations were slightly higher due to having less time to develop.

After Golden State’s latest game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr gave his evaluation of Yaxel after six games.

Kerr said that Yaxel has kind of seen everything in the league already despite playing in only six games, noting that he was trash-talking with Luka Doncic on opening night.

Yaxel didn’t play well against the Lakers on Friday, fouling out after 24 minutes and scoring just six points.

Kerr said he tried to find his way in the game, but never could, which is all part of the process as a rookie.

“The key is to bounce back and recognize that it is a marathon. You learn from games like tonight, and you get better,” stated Kerr.

Yaxel is averaging 19.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists on 48% shooting and 36% from three in his first six contests. He’s brought a renewed sense of energy and purpose to the Warriors after an offseason where they made no significant changes and were not viewed as a threat in the Western Conference.

His box score numbers have been strong, but the analytics don’t favor him quite as much.

The Warriors have a 112.1 offensive rating and a 117.2 defensive rating with him on the floor. When he goes to the bench, they have a 128.9 offensive rating and a 112.8 defensive rating. When he shares the floor with Steph Curry, the team has a 107.5 offensive rating and a 119.6 defensive rating.

Kerr previously called out Yaxel’s lack of attention when it came to weakside defense, and the numbers and the tape have shown that his defensive awareness is still lacking, which is not too surprising for a rookie.

There is some encouragement in how he’s performed alongside Brandin Podziemski, as they have a +18.6 net rating when they are on the floor and Curry is on the bench. The Warriors are always searching for someone or some combination to keep the team afloat when Curry rests, and they may have found it with the Yaxel and Podz combo.