I've covered my fair share of prospects over the course of this series, meaning that I've seen my fair share of player archetypes. A few prominent playstyles come to mind: the stretch big, the three-and-d wing, the shifty guard, the pure playmaker. These are just a few of the many archetypes that evaluators get used to breaking down on our never-ending quest to find the next NBA superstar that no other sleuth has picked apart yet. All of that said, there is one archetype that not only is no longer incredibly prevalent in the sport, but also historically not the most effective. However, there are very few playstyles that compare in the "pure entertainment" category, and at the end of the day, sports only work if they entertain. That playstyle is, of course, bully ball, and boy o boy do I have a bully to talk about today. That said, what makes this situation different to your usual bully ball prospect is that I believe he has enough supplemental skills to truly succeed at the next level. I also believe this player has a ton of room to grow, and he already has a very solid floor. I am talking about Yaxel Lendeborg of the UAB Blazers, who is an unreal rebounder with possibly the best motor in the nation who adds three-level scoring upside on one end and elite rim protection on the other. Let's break down his game and let me tell you why Lendeborg is more than just another hyper-aggressive collegiate force.
pc: Butch Dill/Associated Press
Player Profile:
Lendeborg is a native Puerto Rican who was born into a basketball family, as both of his parents played for their home countries. He attended Pennsauken High School in Pennsauken, New Jersey where he only saw 11 games of varsity action, the final 11 games of his senior season. He led Pennsauken to a 10-1 record in those games, and eventually got enough attention to get a scholarship spot at Arizona Western College, a junior college program. After a forgettable Covid season, Lendeborg showed out in his first full season of college basketball. He was a third-team NJCAA All-American that year after leading his conference in rebounding at 11 per game. In his sophomore season at Arizona Western, Yaxel emerged as one of the best junior college players in the country. He was named as a second-team NJCAA All-American and was ranked as the ninth best junior college prospect at the end of the year. After some recruitment jostling following his decision to transfer, Lendeborg ended up in Birmingham, joining the UAB Blazers. In his first season as a Blazer, Lendeborg was simply fantastic. He was named the AAC Defensive Player of the Year, was named to the AAC first-team, and was awarded the AAC tournament MVP. He had the best rebounding season in UAB and AAC history, averaging 10.6 rebounds per game totaling 370 on the season. He added 13.8 points per game, 2.1 assists, 2.1 blocks, and .7 steals to those rebounding numbers, and put-up shooting splits of 51.3% from the field, 33.3% from three, and 80% from the free-throw line. All of that information brings us to the current day, so let me tell you 1.) What makes Lendeborg such an effective rebounder, defender, and overall player and 2.) Why I think he's a legitimate NBA prospect despite historical trends suggesting otherwise.
Interior Scoring:
I'm sure you assumed that since Lendeborg is a bully-ball player, that the majority of his offense is created near the basket. If you indeed did make that assumption, you would be correct. The large large majority of his offense comes right at the hoop, and he's wildly effective in this region. What makes him a bully-ball player is not that he scores most of his points this close to the basket (even though these two things do correlate), it's how he scores these points. He is one of the strongest players I have ever evaluated, and for certain one of the strongest non-centers I've ever evaluated. He combines this strength with a relentless motor and his natural physical tools to be a very difficult player to stop in multiple regards. Now, while he is as strong as an ox, what really separates him here and in his in-between game is his soft touch. He has great feel for shots within the arc, and that makes him incredibly difficult to predict as he can utilize both power and finesse on any given possession.
As you can see, Lendeborg's interior game isn't always the prettiest, but it's definitely effective. With these clips I wanted to illustrate his strength and how he uses it to score in a myriad of ways. For example, in those first three clips he is easily going through the bodies of defenders as he barrels his way to the basket. In the first clip he powers through three defenders, including 6'7" 210lb Tucker DeVries and 6'10" 275lb Darnell Brodie. In the second clip he knocks 6'11" Drew Pember off balance before going up and through the help defender's arms to get the bucket and the foul. In the third clip he makes 6'9" 230lb Julian Reese look weak as he knocks him off of his spot and goes through his contest for the layup. These are big, strong, and lanky defenders that Lendeborg is absolutely bullying. Yes, he does show off solid footwork on these possessions which supplements his pure force, but it is his strength that makes these plays possible. The fourth clip shows something different, but it's something that Lendeborg does a ton of. He seals off his defender looking for a pass over the top, and he has gotten incredibly comfortable quickly finishing these turnaround layups before help defense comes. This particular play is drawn up, but he does this within the natural flow of the offense whenever he sees fit. It's a simple play but it works, and he makes it look easy as he's able to overpower his opponent before ever receiving the ball.
Lendeborg isn't entirely restricted to creating offense a few feet away from the rim, in fact, he's pretty solid at applying rim pressure by attacking from the perimeter. He's not the fastest player in the world, and he doesn't have fantastic acceleration abilities, but at some point when a player of his size with his raw power is charging at you full speed you get out of the way. A lot of times, by the time he does what it takes to actually get to the rim, the shot attempt is basically two free points. Like you saw in a couple of the clips in the previous set, while his footwork isn't elite by any means, it's pretty solid. When you're as imposing as him, a little bit of footwork goes a long way. So even the simple things, such as the spin moves you see in the first and second clip here, is all that it takes for him to get an advantage over his opponents. Once you give him any sort of advantage...good luck stopping him.
The final aspect of his at-the-rim finishing is his transition offense. As we've talked about, Lendeborg has an elite motor, which means he gets out in transition like a bull in a china shop. However, as you can see in both of these clips, he finishes a lot of these possessions with finesse instead of brute force. In the first clip he avoids a potential offensive foul when he navigates around the interior defender mid-air before softly laying it in with a finger roll. In the second clip he's able to contort between two defenders while accelerating to the basket. This ability to insert strong feel for the game into his high motor mentality is what separates him from other bruisers we see come and go in college basketball. He's not just a big guy who uses his overwhelming stature to dominate weaker competition; instead, he's a truly skilled athlete...who just so happens to be incredibly strong.
In-Between Game:
Normally I title this section of these articles as "Mid-Range Scoring", but for the most part I wouldn't consider Lendeborg's in-between game to include much of what we normally think of when we picture mid-range scoring. Instead of pull-up mid-range shooting, he utilizes a smorgasbord of floaters, jump-hooks, touch shots, and the occasional mid-range jumper. This is where that soft touch we've been talking about really comes in handy, as he relies far less on his strength in this part of the floor. He still uses it to back opponents down as far as he can, but the actual points are generated through solid feel for these shots.
Here are some examples of Lendeborg taking these push-shot/hook-shot hybrids that he likes to take. Both of these shots are with his right hand while turning over his left shoulder, which is his usual method of generating these looks. He gets really good elevation on these attempts, which you can see in the first clip where he easily gets the shot up and over the contest. What makes these shot attempts special is their unpredictability and difficulty to defend. In the first clip, Lendeborg knocks the defender off-balance before taking the shot. In the second clip it seems like the defender is bearing down, expecting Lendeborg to keep forcing his way to the rim. Instead, he takes the turnaround push-shot, and the defender isn't even able to get a legitimate contest on the ball. These possessions give smaller defenders issues because they aren't strong enough to stand Lendeborg up and keep him away from the rim. They give bigger defenders issues because they aren't quick enough to get off their feet when he goes for the shot. As his game continues to develop, I would like to see him increase the volume of these shots and other similar shots in order to get even more comfortable and eventually far more efficient.
Here we have two interesting examples of Lendeborg knocking down floaters. The first clip shows a pretty run-of-the-mill floater, but a few things stand out. Obviously, the depth on the attempt is what pops off the screen. Leaving his feet at the elbow, this is basically a floater from the charity stripe. What was more important to me was that he takes this deep floater in order to avoid the interior defender who's setting up to take a charge. We've seen this a couple of times already, but Lendeborg is excellent at avoiding being called for charges and offensive fouls. Most guys who barrel to the rim like how he does are awful about running through opponents, but Lendeborg can always fall back on his feel to avoid falling victim to the whistle. The second clip is definitely different, as I don't think Yaxel was intending to take a floater when he began his run at the rim. However, he runs into Darnell Brodie, who is a massive individual. Most players would panic in this position, but because Lendeborg is a good touch shot maker, he's able to get a floater up and over Brodie on the fly. This is a wildly difficult shot to make, especially after getting knocked off-balance, but Lendeborg makes it look routine.
Funny enough, the least prevalent aspect of Lendeborg's mid-range game is the most prevalent aspect of most players' mid-range game. He just doesn't take a ton of mid-range jumpers, even though his mechanics look solid. Similar to his outside shot that we'll talk about later in this article, his efficiency and volume don't reflect the eye test when it comes to these shots. What I mean is that he's not the greatest at actually making these jumpers, but he looks super comfortable, and his mechanics look replicable. I'm not worried about his long-term development as a shooter not only because he passes the eye test, but also because players who have good touch around the basket and who make their free throws tend to be solid jump-shooters. Maybe the shot in this clip looks so smooth because it's from the free throw line, where he feels comfortable. Maybe it's because there's no contest. But I'm a fan of how he looks on these attempts and believe that he will start knocking them down at a better clip this season.
Outside Shooting:
As I mentioned, Lendeborg isn't a fantastic outside shooter. That said, he had a decent year from beyond the arc, and he got better as the year progressed. Like his mid-range jumper, his outside shot passes the eye test with flying colors. That's why I'm fairly confident in projecting him to be a good three-point shooter as he continues to develop his game. That, in addition to his strong free-throw shooting and feel for shots closer to the rim. Now, sometimes these traits don't translate to the outside game, but a lot of times you can project a player's shooting using these indicators. For the time being, he mainly operates as a pick-and-pop shooter and/or catch and shoot threat. That's a good place to start, as he has built a foundation that he can begin to build off of in a positive direction.
You can see from these clips that he looks comfortable taking and making these shots, and yet he doesn't take many of them. The first clip shows a classic catch-and-shoot look, and everything about the shot looks great. High release point, strong base, fluid shot motion, no hitch, good follow through, everything passes the test. All of these things are true for the second and third clips, which are pick-and-pop shot attempts. These are even more impressive, as he is back pedaling when he receives the pass before facing up to the basket and getting into his shot motion. Contests don't seem to faze him, and that release point is probably the reason why. I don't know, everything here speaks positively to the evaluator in me. These shots, in addition to his feel from other areas of the floor, tell me that he will likely continue to improve as an outside shooter.
Playmaking & Passing:
Another aspect of Lendeborg's game that doesn't usually apply to true forwards like himself is his ability to create for his teammates. He isn't a lead playmaker by any means, but he's an elite connective passer who makes fantastic quick decisions to create easy offense for his teammates. Skills we talked about earlier such as his ability to avoid offensive fouls and put up floaters after getting brick walled show off his quick decision making, and that fast-paced IQ translates to his secondary playmaking. He's not overly flashy, and he's definitely not a pass first player, but he's a guy who you never have to worry about when it comes to making the right play at the right time.
These are the "easier" passes that I'm including in this article. They are special in their own way, but they're relatively routine. In the first clip, the pass isn't even the most impressive part of the play. I wanted to use this clip as an example of his mental fortitude and ability to make decisions while under pressure. Being trapped by two defenders and the sideline, he's able to survey his options and make a jump pass over the defenders to the open big on the block. He doesn't panic, he doesn't get sped up, and he makes the best play he could've made in that situation. The second clip is even more cut-and-dried. Other than it simply being a cool play, a 6'9" true forward handling the ball in transition before throwing a one-handed lob on the move isn't incredibly common. That said, it's another example of Lendeborg making a decision that not only results in an easy bucket, but also keeps him from picking up the charge. Once he sees that the lone defender has decided to commit to drawing the charge, he throws the lob. While these passes may not be the most difficult, they're great examples of his ability to make not only quick decisions, but also correct decisions.
These are the more impressive passes that I wanted to show off, specifically because I think they best illustrate Lendeborg's quick decision making and connective passing acumen. All three of these clips show an example of Lendeborg making a pass as soon as the opportunity presents itself. The first two clips show off his gravity and his ability to notice when that gravity creates an advantage. In both of those clips he makes the pass as soon as the help defense comes, and a man is left open. A lot of players will force the issue in these situations and put up heavily contested and inefficient shots, but these are some of the best opportunities to create easy offense. The third clip mirrors a play I included earlier in the article where I talked about how Lendeborg likes to seal off defenders before receiving a pass over the top. However, in this clip the help defender makes the correct rotation to keep him from getting an easy layup. Lendeborg notices this, and he also notices that his original man does not rotate to cutoff the baseline cut, and he makes the pass before his feet even reach the ground. All of these passes occur within the flow of the offense and are not "created" by Lendeborg himself, but it's passes like these that allow that offense to flow throughout a game.
Offensive Rebounding:
Normally I include rebounding in the defense portion of these articles, but Lendeborg does most of his rebounding work on the offensive end. He really is a prolific rebounder, finishing the season ranked ninth on the national rebounds per game leaderboards. That said, it's his relentless offensive rebounding that separates him from other glass cleaners. He really is in a league of his own when it comes to grabbing boards on this end of the floor as a forward. If there's any aspect of his game that will make you audibly say "Whoa" multiple times per game, it's this. Let's look at some examples.
Rebounding is a unique skill, because there are a ton of ways to excel at it. Yaxel Lendeborg just so happens to have every skill necessary to be a great rebounder. He knows exactly where the ball is going to come off the rim. He has fantastic hands. He has mastered going over the top of opponents without committing fouls. He can muscle around opponents without hooking or wrapping around their body. His timing when he goes up for rebounds is almost always perfect. He also has great second bounce, allowing him to go straight back up for layups as soon as he has the ball in his hands. This complete package of tools that he just so happens to possess allows him to be a premier rebounder and is going to translate to any level of the sport.
When I titled this article, I had these three rebounding clips in mind. If these don't illustrate the essence of being relentless, I don't know what will. I mean, if the dude even as much as gets a finger on the ball it's seemingly going to end up in his hands. In the first two clips here, he purposefully slaps the ball away as soon as he realizes he isn't in the perfect position to grab the board. Both of those plays result in him coming up with the ball and eventually turning that rebound into a tough bucket. Plays like those not only show his rebounding acumen, but also that quick decision making process that we've talked about several times now. The third clip is my favorite of all the offensive rebounding looks. First, he gets knocked off of his spot before going through three defenders under the basket to get a shot up. Then he has three put-back attempts before it finally falls. He gets off the floor four times in about two seconds and no other player even gets close to getting a hand on the ball. We can sit here all day and talk about what physical tools he has that allow him to do this, but it really just comes down to an otherworldly motor and will to win.
Defense:
Just by looking at his resume you can tell that Lendeborg is a really good defender. What may surprise you is that he's far more versatile on this end of the floor than his 2.1 blocks per game may suggest. A lot of those blocks are generated by Lendeborg not allowing smaller players to get all the way past him and to the basket. He's not the most agile perimeter defender in the world, but he moves very well laterally. This allows him to stick to driving guards and pick up blocks, a lot of times not even from behind. When he is set up in the interior, he's even more dangerous. He's definitely a better help defender inside than he is a drop big or primary rim protector, but he definitely still has his moments in that department as well.
As you can see, Lendeborg can handle himself beyond the arc on the defensive end. In the first clip you see him correctly predict where the pass is about to go and use his impressive wingspan to interrupt the play. He doesn't pick up a ton of steals, but that's mostly because he's not an overly aggressive defender. He doesn't take a bunch of risks such as jumping passing lanes or reaching when his matchup is handling the ball. I appreciate this, as it cuts down on his fouls and doesn't allow for any free points for his opponent if he were to mistime these steal attempts. In the second and third clips you get a good idea of his ability to stick with perimeter scorers. In those two clips he finds himself defending two very good players, PJ Haggerty and Johnell Davis, yet he isn't fazed. In the second clip, Haggerty throws his body into Lendeborg and knocks him off his feet, still he's able to collect himself and pick up the block from behind. All in all, he's just not a guy who you want to be matched up against if you're anywhere near the rim or intending to apply rim pressure.
Here are some solid examples of not only his ability to stick with smaller guards as they apply rim pressure, but also his skills as a primary rim protector. The first clip shows him sticking with his initial matchup and coming up with the block before standing up straight and contesting the second shot attempt without fouling. We see a similar, yet more impressive, example of his defensive versatility in the second clip. Once again matched up against Haggerty, he's able to deny his lane and force the kickout. When this second opponent blows past his matchup, Lendeborg is prepared to meet and deny him at the rim. Finally, the third clip shows what he is capable of when he's matched up against a big man who he doesn't have to defend on the perimeter. Sagging almost all the way to the free-throw line allows him to easily get back to protect the rim whenever his teammate is beaten by the cut. Basically, the only way to get an open layup when Lendeborg is on the court is to put his man, who has to be a solid outside shooter, in the weak side corner to completely take him out of the play. When a team has to gameplan to play 4v4, you know a defender is truly dangerous.
Summary:
Before I fully summarize Lendeborg's game and this article as a whole, let's talk about some of his weaknesses. For the sake of transparency, I include this segment in every one of these player breakdowns. No player in the history of the game has eluded having a weakness, and mid-major prospects are, of course, no exception to this rule. So, while, yes, Lendeborg does have several areas of his game that he needs to work on, he's far from the most flawed prospect even I've covered in this series. Let's look at some of these areas of development:
The most obvious area in need of improvement for him on offense is his jumpshooting. He needs to work hard to improve not only his shooting efficiency, but also his shooting volume.
Not overly athletic, so while he is technically an above-the-rim threat, that's not necessarily something that stands out when you watch him play.
He takes a good number of free-throws, but with his style of play I wish he would take even more. He needs to start incorporating skills into his game that will get defenders off of their feet under the rim.
He's a solid pick-and-roll finisher, and I would like to see him run these plays more often to increase his overall scoring output and field goal percentage.
He turns the ball over too much for a guy who is neither a primary ball handler nor a primary playmaker. He needs to continue to develop his feel for the game to improve his ball security.
We talked about everything he does to avoid getting into foul trouble, but he can still get caught up with the whistle every now and then simply because of his style of play. I wouldn't consider this to be a "weakness", but he should keep looking for ways to cut down on fouls.
He really doesn't have any glaring weaknesses on the defensive end, but I would say that he isn't as effective when he's pulled out past the three-point line. I don't even mean on the perimeter; I mean when he gets pulled all the way past the arc. This is expected, and if this is his only area of concern on this end of the floor he's probably doing alright.
In summary, Yaxel Lendeborg is a player who, at his foundation, you never have to worry about giving his all when he's on the court. He has an unbelievable motor and one-of-a-kind competitive drive, which allow him to play to the best of his ability night in and night out. When you start to build on that foundation is when you begin to see a player who will have a career after their collegiate days have passed. He is an immensely skilled defender, capable of defending 1-5 at the college level, and likely 2-4 at the professional level. His versatility on this end allows him to cover the floor with the best of them and has made him a weapon in help-side rim protection. His offensive game is far more raw, yet he has shown the flashes necessary for me to believe in his long-term development on this end. He's an elite scorer around the rim, who uses his other worldly strength to impose his will whenever he gets near the hoop. This is where his bully ball playstyle is most prevalent, but he still possesses a finesse game that throws off opponents and helps to diversify his scoring portfolio. As he steps out to the mid-range and beyond the arc he begins to have more trouble, but his base abilities in those areas give me hope that he will eventually be more than capable of knocking down those shots. He's an excellent secondary playmaker and connective passer with a feel for the game that you don't normally see from bruisers like himself. Finally, his rebounding is by far his most translatable skill, as he's on another level when compared to his peers. When you combine all of these things into a bigger picture, you see a guy who has a serious chance at making a name for himself at the next level. I'm not sure if he's an NBA Draft guy yet, but I like to think that players who work as hard as Yaxel Lendeborg works have a better chance of sticking in the league than even some guys who are selected on draft night.
Comentarios