Yaxel Lendeborg has given the Warriors a lot more than anyone could have reasonably expected through 10 games. The rookie forward has stepped into a Jimmy Butler-type role, helped fuel a seven-game winning streak, and changed the feel of Golden State’s season in the process.
But there’s still a clear gap between what Lendeborg is giving the Warriors right now and what Butler brings when he’s on the floor. The biggest one is ball security.
Lendeborg’s production has been outstanding, and in some ways he has even outpaced Butler’s numbers before Butler tore his ACL against his former team in January. The rookie is scoring more, grabbing more rebounds, and shooting a better percentage from three-point range while taking 3.5 more attempts per game. That’s a strong start by any standard.
Still, the turnover problem has been real. Lendeborg turned it over six times against the Orlando Magic on Saturday night, and that came in a game where Golden State also got pushed around on the glass.
Those issues cost the Warriors 33 field-goal attempts, which makes the overtime win even more remarkable. Stephen Curry had to deliver another huge stretch late just to get them across the finish line.
That was Lendeborg’s fourth game with at least five turnovers in his first 10 career outings. For all the good he’s done, the 3.5 turnovers per game are a number the Warriors need to clean up. Some of that should naturally settle down with more experience.
Butler’s return should help in a way that goes beyond raw stats. He doesn’t need his athleticism to steady an offense; that part comes from his feel, his decision-making, and the kind of basketball IQ that doesn’t vanish with injury.
Since arriving from the Miami Heat in February 2025, Butler has already shown how much he can stabilize Golden State. He averaged 1.5 turnovers after the trade, then 1.6 before his injury last season, and his assist-to-turnover ratio was better than 3-to-1, which is elite territory for a lead ball-handler.
Lendeborg is giving the Warriors a strong Butler impression in the same role, but it isn’t the exact same thing. Golden State still sits in the bottom seven in turnovers and turnover percentage, and that’s the area Butler should help fix as soon as he’s back.
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