Kia Rookie Ladder: Yaxel Lendeborg climbs to No. 1 in latest Top 10

Yaxel Lendeborg has had an immediate impact in Golden State, averaging 21.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists through 11 games.

Through the first three weeks of the season, rookie Yaxel Lendeborg has been perfect for the Golden State Warriors, and the Warriors have been perfect for Lendeborg.

It’s not often that a rookie enters the league to a team like the Warriors with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler and coach Steve Kerr, and it’s not often a team with championship aspirations is in position to draft a player like Lendeborg.

From the start, Kerr knew Lendeborg would be an important contributor to the 2026-27 Warriors. Lendeborg’s scoring and shooting have been impressive, but he’s also collecting rebounds, assists, blocks and steals.

After losing their first three games, the Warriors

have won eight in a row

and can make it nine against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday (

9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

).

“I would probably say we’re way more connected than we were before,” Lendeborg said after Monday’s victory against New Orleans. “I don’t think the trust was necessarily there for the squad. Everybody was still trying to figure out their roles on the team, besides, you know, obviously Steph and Draymond. They already have their own connection going, but once everybody else kind of fell in line and we all realized what we’re here for, I felt like we started playing a lot more connected, team basketball with more energy in a way.”

Here’s the latest Kia Rookie Ladder through the first three weeks of the season:

1.

Yaxel Lendeborg, Golden State Warriors

Season stats

: 21.4 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 4.0 APG (52.3 FG% / 44.3 3P% / 75.8 FT%)

Game of the week

: 23 points, seven rebounds, four assists and one steal in a win against New Orleans.

Just six players are averaging at least 20 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists this season, and Lendeborg is the only rookie, right there with Luka Dončić, Alperen Sengun, Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Scottie Barnes.

Coach Kerr had high praise for Yaxel's basketball IQ 🧠

pic.twitter.com/qwuq7pe7ph

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors)

November 10, 2026

Last week

: No. 2 ⬆️

Draft pick

: No. 11

2.

Darius Acuff Jr., Sacramento Kings

: 26.2 PPG, 7.3 APG, 3.8 RPG (41.8 FG% / 33.0 3P% / 84.6 FT%)

: 32 points, 10 assists and five rebounds in a loss to Miami.

Acuff has emerged as a big-time scorer and passer. He leads rookies in points, assists and minutes, has three double-doubles in points-assists and is just the second player in NBA history to score 30 or more points and have 10 or more assists in multiple games before turning 20. LeBron James is the other. Acuff’s 259 points in his first 10 games is the most since 1984, when Michael Jordan totaled 273.

DARIUS ACUFF JR. MADE HISTORY LAST NIGHT 👏

32 PTS

10 AST

5 REB

3 3PM

He joined LeBron James (3x) as the only teenagers in NBA history to record 30+ points and 10+ assists in multiple games 👑

pic.twitter.com/aoMv5noYVd

— NBA (@NBA)

November 9, 2026

: No. 3 ⬆️

: No. 7

3.

Cameron Boozer, Memphis Grizzlies

: 16.2 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 5.5 APG (36.4 FG% / 29.0 3P% / 93.3 FT%)

: 22 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in a win against Toronto.

Boozer continues to make an impact with his scoring, passing and rebounding. It was well known that Boozer was NBA-ready coming out of Duke, and he has demonstrated quickly that he is and will be an important player for the Grizzlies. Among all players, he is seventh in defensive rebounds per game (8.0) and became the first player since 1976-77, when the NBA began tracking defensive rebounds, to collect at least 10 defensive rebounds in his first three games.

All aboard. No brakes. 🚂

2nd Half 📲

https://t.co/uu3QzCuhwE

pic.twitter.com/LJiubDWleQ

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz)

: No. 1 ⬇️

: No. 3

4.

Darryn Peterson, Utah Jazz

: 15.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.2 SPG (41.1 FG% / 37.7 3P% / 86.7 FT%)

: 26 points, six rebounds and four assists in a loss to Minnesota.

Peterson has scored 20+ points in three straight games, while shooting 51.9% from the field and 45.8% on 3-pointers – plus 13 assists, 12 rebounds, four steals and three blocks tallied during this stretch.

BACK-TO-BACK 25+ POINT GAMES FOR #2 PICK DARRYN PETERSON!

Sunday vs. MIN: 26 PTS, 4 3PM

Tonight vs. MIA: 25 PTS, 4 3PM

He's the third rookie this season to accomplish the feat, joining Darius Acuff Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg 👏

pic.twitter.com/IqpK8ByK90

— NBA Future Starts Now (@nbafuturenow)

November 11, 2026

: No. 6 ⬆️

: No. 2

5.

AJ Dybantsa, Washington Wizards

: 16.7 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.1 SPG (43.3 FG% / 27.3 3P% / 77.1 FT%)

: 21 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in a loss to Detroit.

Dybantsa attacks the rim with force and finesse, and he’s getting to the free throw line 5.0 times per game. Don’t forget, he missed the first week with a sprained ankle, so he’s playing a little catch-up with the rest of the rookies in terms of games and minutes played.

AJ DYBANTSA NASTY MOVE AND SLAM!

THE HESI INTO THE EURO 😲

pic.twitter.com/7ET0WAIPSC

: No. 5 ↔️

: No. 1

6.

Caleb Wilson, Chicago Bulls

: 19.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.9 SPG (40.6 FG% / 30.4 3P% / 71.1 FT%)

: 18 points, five rebounds and two steals in a loss against Philadelphia.

Wilson had a nice stretch where he scored at least 20 points in three consecutive games and shot the ball well, especially on 3-pointers. But playing against quality defenders game after game reveals how difficult it is for rookies to score consistently and efficiently.

: No. 4 ⬇️

: No. 4

7.

Aday Mara, Oklahoma City Thunder

: 8.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 1.4 APG (61.5 FG% / 55.6 FT%)

: 18 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three blocks in a win against Washington.

As noted in a previous edition of the Kia Rookie Ladder this season, it makes sense to look beyond per-game averages. Mara’s per-36-minute averages: 14.7 points, 11.1 rebounds, 3.2 blocks and 2.4 assists.

: No. 7 ↔️

: No. 12

8.

Mikel Brown Jr., Brooklyn Nets

: 12.9 PPG, 3.9 APG, 2.1 RPG (34.6 FG% / 31.1 3P% / 80.0 FT%)

: 18 points, four assists, one block and one steal in 20 minutes in a win against Charlotte.

Brown put together his best two-game stretch of the season over the last week, averaging 18 points and shooting 45.8% from the field.

: Not ranked ⬆️

: No. 6

9.

Kingston Flemings, Atlanta Hawks

: 8.5 PPG, 4.4 APG, 2.6 RPG (52.1 FG% / 42.9 3P% / 72.7 FT%)

: 14 points, four assists and three rebounds in a win against Washington.

Kingston has started four consecutive games, his minutes have increased over that time and the Hawks went 3-1. He has contributed offensively, especially with his playmaking.

: No. 8 ⬇️

: No. 8

10.

Meleek Thomas, Cleveland Cavaliers

: 13 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.3 APG (47 FG% / 47.8 3P% / 100 FT%)

: 18 points (4-for-6 on 3s) in a loss to Charlotte.

Thomas continues to provide 3-point shooting for the Cavaliers, going 9-for-18 from that distance in his last three games.

: No. 10 ↔️

: No. 34

Other rookies to note:

Keaton Wagler, LA Clippers:

15 points and four assists in 18 minutes in a win against New Orleans.

Bennett Stirtz, Oklahoma City Thunder:

16 points (4-for-7 on 3s) and two steals in a win against Cleveland.

Braden Smith, Indiana Pacers:

10 points, five assists, two steals and two blocks in a win against Memphis.

Brayden Burries, Milwaukee Bucks:

21 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in a loss against Toronto.

Hannes Steinbach, Charlotte Hornets:

11 rebounds and three blocks in a loss against Boston.

Morez Johnson Jr., Dallas Mavericks:

13 points and 17 rebounds in a win against Utah.

Bryce Hopkins, Denver Nuggets:

18 points, four rebounds and two steals in a win against Toronto.

Jaylin Sellers, Chicago Bulls:

14 points (4-for-7 on 3s) in a loss against New York.

Baba Miller, LA Clippers

: 12 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks in a win against New Orleans.

Nate Ament, Milwaukee Bucks:

12 points and five rebounds in a loss to Boston.

Zuby Ejiofor, Atlanta Hawks:

10 points, five rebounds and five assists in 15 minutes in a win against Washington.

Rankings are updated weekly, based on season production, the past week’s games and availability. Rankings are the writer’s decision and do not reflect the opinion of the NBA or its teams.

* * *

Jeff Zillgitt has covered the NBA since 2008. You can email him at

jzillgitt@nba.com

, find

his archive here

and

follow him on X

.