Golden State Warriors have a surprise player on All-Star watch, says Chris Mullin after Pelicans win

The Golden State Warriors are on a winning streak of eight after dropping their first three games, and they have a surprise All-Star contender to thank for it. The latest win against the New Orleans Pelicans was the biggest one yet, with the Golden State Warriors winning 138-87. It allowed for some much-needed rest for their star players, which is priceless at this stage of the season, and also allowed lesser-heralded players to showcase their talent. Chris Mullin said after the game that one such player is firmly on All-Star watch after the win against the Pelicans, and nobody saw it coming. Chris Mullin hails Yaxel Lendeborg With every game, Mike Dunleavy Jr. is being made to look like a genius by Yaxel Lendeborg, and that continued against the Pelicans. Lendeborg bounced back from some poor shooting nights with a scorching 23 points on just 14 shots, making all four of his threes. In addition, he had seven rebounds and four assists as he continued to do the basics of the game well, especially for a rookie. The 11th pick in the draft should be the runaway contender for Rookie of the Year, and in Chris Mullin’s opinion, that’s such a given that All-Star conversations should begin now. He said (via Warriors on NBCS ): “There’s no one forcing anything. The ball is doing the work. Yaxel, we keep talking about rookie watch? We are on All-Star watch. He’s putting up those types of numbers. They are not rookie numbers. They are All-Star numbers for one of the best teams in the league!” Through the first ten games of his NBA career, Lendeborg is averaging 21.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and four assists while shooting more than 40% on 3PT, on a team that is setting the pace surprisingly in the West. His breakout earlier than anyone expected has re-energised Steph Curry and Draymond Green, and with Jimmy Butler yet to join the team, the roster looks like sneaky contenders all of a sudden. A rookie wall is bound to hit Lendeborg at some point, but he has elite mentality to overcome it, and with it, potentially bring about a second wind for the Warriors’ contending chances. ‘You don’t get to’: Udonis Haslem shares what he privately said to Giannis Antetokounmpo ‘First a competitor’- JJ Redick explains why Luka Doncic is dominating the NBA ‘I must be…’ – Stephen Curry’s daughter Riley in viral clip has NBA fans feeling ‘ancient’