What happened: Yaxel Lendeborg said expending his energy on aggressive on-ball defense against the Los Angeles Lakers left him with nothing left for offense. Shifting onto less demanding perimeter matchups has allowed the Golden State Warriors to unlock his offensive production.

Why it matters: Balancing Lendeborg's two-way workload is an early priority for Golden State after he won over the Warriors locker room in the loss to the Lakers. Protecting him from primary point-of-attack assignments preserves his legs to carry a heavier scoring load.

What to watch: Golden State will continue calibrating Lendeborg's defensive matchups as opposing scouting reports adjust to his scoring output.