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# Training Camp Battles Part 1: Yaxel Lendeborg vs. Gui Santos
- URL: https://www.playoffrondo.com/training-camp-battles-part-1-yaxel-lendeborg-vs-gui-santos/
- Published: 2026-10-03T01:24:09.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-09T00:12:51.000Z
- Author: Playoff Rondo

NBA training camps opened this week, and I couldn’t be happier. Gone are the offseason debates about which teams look best on paper. Now the rubber meets the road, and we get to see who the real contenders are.

Fantasy basketball is also picking up in a big way, with training camp battles setting the stage for who gets more minutes to begin the year. One of the more interesting training camp battles is taking place in San Francisco, where the Golden State Warriors are trying to make one last run around superstar Steph Curry.

Curry and Draymond Green are the only two entrenched starters, so three positions are up for grabs. The small forward battle to replace injured star Jimmy Butler might be the most intriguing.

Gui Santos was a revelation last year after Jimmy Butler tore his ACL in January. In 30 starts, the Brazilian forward averaged 14.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 30.1 minutes, while shooting 49.2% from the field and 74.4% from the line. 

More importantly, Santos became critical to the Warriors’ late-game attack, showcasing an array of funky old-school moves in the low post—up-and-unders, step-throughs, shoulder bumps, and pivots—to create opportunities for himself and his teammates.

Santos is a pesky, high-energy, positionally versatile team defender who always seems to get his hands on the ball, helped by a 7-foot wingspan and strong frame. Last year, he averaged 1.3 steals per game and ranked in the 79th percentile in deflections.

Basically, Santos racks up fantasy numbers at an efficient rate on both sides of the ball.

You’re looking at a 6'7" wing who plays bigger than his size and is constantly involved in possessions—getting into passing lanes, contesting shots, helping, rebounding and making disruptive plays. That’s a valuable fantasy asset, especially if he gets enough minutes.

But while he finished the year strong, the Warriors used their 11th pick in the NBA Draft this summer to select forward Yaxel Lendeborg from the University of Michigan. He’s the perfect addition for a Warriors team trying to win now while laying the foundation for the future. It could also make it tougher for Santos to produce at the same level he did late in the 2025-26 season.

Lendeborg’s résumé is ridiculously accomplished and impossible to ignore, bringing with him an unusually strong combination of production, defensive versatility and winning experience.

- NCAA National Champion
- Big Ten Player of the Year
- Consensus First-Team All-American
- First-Team All-Big Ten
- Big Ten All-Defensive Team

Lendeborg was the most important player on the best team in college last year, even with two fellow lottery picks playing next to him. He can post up smaller players, get his shot off against bigs, run and finish in transition, and create opportunities for teammates when needed. Most importantly, he doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be productive.

But defensive versatility might be the combo forward’s calling card. Lendeborg’s strength, unique 7-foot-4 wingspan, mobility and basketball IQ are all elite. He can guard four positions (maybe even five!), and is equally adept at stepping out onto the perimeter to defend elite opposing guards or holding his ground inside against bigs.

He also contests shots without fouling, posting a 4.8% block rate, disrupts passing lanes, and cleans the glass at an impressive rate.

The Warriors seem impressed with Lendeborg’s training camp, with coach Steve Kerr naming him a starter for the first preseason game. That doesn’t guarantee anything, but it looks like he’ll get the first chance to run with the starters.

That won’t kill Santos’ fantasy value entirely, but he certainly becomes far less appealing.

**What to watch for:** Who closes games? Can Santos and Lendeborg play together? What happens when Butler returns?

I think a case could be made that having two versatile combo forwards on the court at the same time would benefit everyone. It certainly would be interesting if the Warriors go small and play Draymond, Santos and Lendeborg together at some point.

Talk about disruption!