T
he Golden State Warriors are chasing glory this season. Coming up short of an NBA finals appearance last season, the Warriors went all in on building a championship caliber team in order to bring a fifth title back to the Bay Area– and add a fifth ring to the resumes of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Steve Kerr. Signing some key free agents, such as center Al Horford, it is evident that the Warriors are not playing around this year.
But the Warriors also turned to the draft to add pieces who they think can help them now. Holding only one draft pick in this year’s draft, the Warriors selected Koby Brea out of Kentucky, but immediately traded his draft rights to the Phoenix Suns. But the Warriors did manage to get one key rookie– 56th overall pick, Will Richard, from the Memphis Grizzlies. Playing his college ball at Florida under head coach Todd Golden, Richard was key in helping the Gators win the 2025 NCAA National Championship. And now in the NBA, Richard’s old coach made a bold claim about his career in the NBA.
Golden Believes Richard Will Have a Long Career
Richard’s draft rights were immediately traded from the Grizzlies to the Warriors and when he first joined the Warriors, many expected him to need time to develop. But, even as a late round pick, Richard has been a surprise contributor for the Warriors so far, even starting a game on Nov. 5 and scoring 30 points. And while Richard’s quick rise is a surprise to some, Golden is not surprised at all that his former star is shining as a professional.
“The reason why I am fully confident Will is going to be a 10-year NBA guy that’s going to start a lot of games and be a part of a lot of winning teams,” Golden said. “Will has great confidence in himself. He has a great understanding of who he is, and he has a great understanding of how to make everybody better. He’s going to continue to need to be better defensively, keeping guys in front of him, and be more consistent in different areas. But the mentality that he has, that he takes into practice and being a part of that team every day, is what’s going to keep him in the league. He’s incredibly unselfish.”
Playing in 13 out of the Warriors’ first 15 games, Richard has impressed in a big way. Averaging 9.3 points while shooting over 56% from the field and 40% from three, Richard has shown that he has what it takes to play key role off the bench for the Warriors, and with the Warriors fielding one of the NBA’s oldest rosters, having reliable young guys like Richard is valuable.
Richard’s Grit
Richard started his first game on Nov. 5, but he also started two games last week when the Warriors were on the road against the San Antonio Spurs. Winning both games, Richard showed that he can help the team in a variety of ways, even if his stats are not off the charts. Speaking on Richard, Golden added that one thing that makes Richard so special is his ability to really understand what his role is.
“As Steve Kerr has so eloquently said about him,” Golden said. “He’s an incredible connector and he’s the type of guy that is a winner and understands his role and we’ll do whatever it takes to help the organization.”
A 22-year-old rookie, Richard is the kind of player that the Warriors expect to become a key player very quickly, with his age meaning that they expect him to develop at a faster rate. And from what he has shown so far, it looks like the Warriors found themselves a gem.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Florida Coach Todd Golden Makes Bold Claim About Golden State Warriors Rookie appeared first on Heavy Sports.