...
By Anne Erickson
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
The Michigan Wolverines hold the men's national championship title, and that means their players' draft stock is rising.
So, when the NBA draft takes place in June, don't be surprised to see a bevy of Michigan players get scooped up early in the event.
Now, one NFL analyst is projecting that a Michigan standout will land with the Golden State Warriors, who have the No. 11 pick.
Read More on NBA
In a mock published on Friday, April 10, Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley gives his picks for the draft, and I have to agree with who he selects for the Warriors.
He has the Warriors selecting Yaxel Lendeborg, PF, out of Michigan with their No. 11 selection. Lendeborg is largely expected to go early in the draft, and he may even be scooped up before the 11th spot.
...
"Lendeborg went from posting big numbers on some forgettable teams at UAB to contributing those same overstuffed stat sheets to the national champs," Buckley states in the piece. "Consistently impacting winning in as many different ways as he does might be the easiest way for a prospect to endear himself to a win-right-now shopper like the Warriors."
More sports news: Shaquille O’Neal Drops Major Update on Future of ‘Inside the NBA’
He adds that "despite being one of the older players in this draft," turning 24 before he plays in the NBA, "a draft pick spent on him isn't a total abandonment of upside. His late-blooming rise gives him more growth potential than most players his age."
Lendeborg, yes, is one of the older players in the draft. That usually scares teams off. But this doesn't feel like a finished product. His rise came late, and it still feels like it’s moving. But, there's a positive that comes with age, and that's maturity. He may be able to hit the ground running without the need for too much development.
More sports news: Donovan Mitchell Injury Raises Concerns Ahead of Hawks Matchup
For a team like the Warriors, that kind of player tends to travel well. They're strong but could certainly use some help in the forward area, and if they can get a player at a bargain in the draft instead of having to trade or work something out in free agency, that bolsters their entire lineup and cause. You're talking about someone who fits, sticks and maybe keeps climbing a little longer than expected.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines