The Golden State Warriors‘ rotation this season has been unpredictable, to say the least, with coach Steve Kerr continuing to experiment amid their 13-14 record. Kerr recently took out dynamic rookie guard Will Richard from his rotation, with the coach explaining why he had to do it.
In an appearance on 95.7 The Game’s Willard & Dibs Show, Kerr was asked about his decision to give Richard back-to-back DNPs in their loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Portland Trail Blazers.
“Right now, frankly, he’s sitting because he’s a rookie and I’m honoring what the older guys have done over the years. I think that’s good for chemistry, I think this is kind of how it goes,” Kerr said, via NBC Sports Bay Area.
Richard has played in 23 out of the 27 games for the Warriors this season, with four DNPs. He’s averaging 8.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.0 steals per game. He brings a lot of energy on both ends of the floor, as well as heart and hustle.
Kerr Believes in Richard’s Chances of Regaining His Spot
Speaking to the media after Wednesday’s practice, Steve Kerr had nothing but praise for Will Richard’s patience and understanding. Kerr wants his rookie to stay locked in because he has so much belief in him. He anticipates the Florida product to regain his spot in the rotation and possibly even start later this season.
“I mean, the great thing with Will is he gets it. I went to him last week and told him I was going to take him out of the rotation because we’re getting healthy and I want to play my vets and give everybody a look. And he said, ‘I got you, coach.’ He understands his place on the team as a rookie, and his time will come back around for,” Kerr said.
Kerr will use a starting lineup of Steph Curry, Moses Moody, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Quinten Post for Thursday’s game against the Phoenix Suns. It will be interesting to see if the four-time NBA champion coach is going to make some changes again if his team continues to lose games.
Hard Work Separated Will Richard From Other Players
The Memphis Grizzlies selected Will Richard with the 56th pick in this year’s draft. The Golden State Warriors traded the 59th pick, Jahmai Mashack, the rights to Justinian Jessup and a protected second-round pick in 2032 for Richard.
Golden State liked what they saw from Richard and signed him to a four-year, $8.7 million contract. But how did the 22-year-old guard separate himself from other players?
“Wasn’t really recruited high in high school, so I knew little things like that would help me a lot… I felt a lot of confidence on the court just because I knew how much work I put in to get to that point,” Richard told ClutchPoints earlier this month.
In addition to his work ethic, Richard has leadership qualities that have endeared him in Golden State. He has already impressed Steph Curry, as well as Draymond Green, who was a second-round pick, just like him.
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