Yaxel Lendeborg is five training camp practices and one preseason game into his professional career. Yes, the 24-year-old was a standout during the Summer League, but the stakes are higher now, with Lendeborg surrounded by NBA veterans rather than G League prospects. Well before the draft, head coach Steve Kerr made it clear he wanted someone who’d be an immediate contributor. It is safe to say he isn’t lowering that standard for the No. 11 pick.

Kerr wasn’t the only one to comment on Lendeborg’s performance. His first preseason game, though, showed how quickly those expectations can create pressure. The rookie flashed his versatility against the Los Angeles Clippers, recording a team-high nine rebounds, but struggled to make anything after his first deep shot. One decision in particular under the basket became the clearest lesson from his night (more on that later). With Kerr demanding more from him, Curry had a much simpler message for the young forward.

“The balance for a young guy who’s expected to have an impact is to walk that fine line of aggressiveness, but being okay knowing you’re gonna make mistakes and not getting afraid, being able to move on to the next play,” Curry told the media.

Although Curry was empathetic, he followed it up with a clear four-word message for Lendeborg: “Don’t want anything passive.”

“Taking a shot when he was open, getting an offensive rebound, driving, I know he wants a couple of those possessions back, but we want him, applying pressure on both ends of the floor, but especially offensively, being able to create good offense for us and good opportunities,” Curry added.

Lendeborg’s numbers don’t tell the full story of his debut.

The 24-year-old finished with four points on 1-of-6 shooting, three assists and a transition block. His versatility is why the Dubs are comfortable asking him to play through mistakes. But they did find him a bit passive and hesitant on offense…

With the ball under the basket, the rookie had a chance to go up for a layup. Instead, he tried to pass to Charles Bassey, turned the ball over, and watched the Clippers come back the other way for a three-pointer. Steve Kerr addressed that sequence in particular after the game.

“That’s got to be a layup!” Kerr explained. “We need him actually to have an aggressive scoring mentality, and that’s something we’ll work with him. He makes plays, and he can score.”

The coach also said that, overall, Lendeborg was “good” but that he needs to be “more aggressive.” It is important to note that Kerr’s criticism was largely focused on the decision rather than on the player.

That is where Curry’s final message becomes so much more important. The four-time champ drew on his own rookie experience, explaining that Lendeborg shouldn’t be afraid of making errors simply because the team expects him to contribute.

“It’s not gonna be perfect. We’ll make mistakes. I think he, hopefully, can thrive off the fact that he can play through those, similar to when I was, more expectations as a team, but similar to my rookie year. I had to play through that stuff.”

The Warriors’ first preseason game ended in a 104-101 loss, which indeed infuriated Dub Nation, but Kerr’s advertised “5-out” offense was clearly on display. In fact, Curry’s first preseason deep shot was exactly the fruit of that offense.

Horford was the ball-handler, and Curry was the screener, which led to an inverted pick-and-roll that ended with the sharpshooter converting his attempt from deep. Notably, all the other Warriors players were also in position to take a shot. But this is clearly a work in progress tactic because they shot only 18 percent from deep.

So, the Warriors want Lendeborg to be more than a passive piece in their new-look offense because his size and versatility let him rebound, attack closeouts, move the ball, and defend across multiple positions. In fact, he showed flashes of his playmaking brilliance, carrying out a couple of neat pick-and-rolls with Charles Bassey.

Prior to the game, Lendeborg revealed his deferential mindset, stating: “Me just making that extra move, two-step… going to be vital for us… especially if I have [the ball] or Steph has a good look, it’s like, you know, give that to Steph.”

This exact philosophy perfectly explains the unselfish turnover that Kerr later criticized. The test will be whether he can carry that aggression into the Warriors’ next preseason game. One turnover will certainly not define his adjustment to the NBA. But how he responds to it will say much about the role the Warriors want him to grow into.

Lendeborg and the Warriors will next face the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center on Tuesday, the first game of a preseason back-to-back sequence, followed by the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center.