As the Golden State Warriors sift through various potential targets left in free agency, young guard Will Richard has sent a strong message to the front office to not forget about him as a legitimate rotation player entering next season.
Richard may have played second fiddle to the stunning debut of 11th overall pick Yaxel Lendeborg in the first game of the California Classic on Friday night, but he was eqaully as impressive as the Warriors trounced the Los Angeles Lakers in a 104-72 victory at Chase Center.
Will Richard sends strong message to Warriors during free agency
Richard had 16 points (all in the first-half) against the Lakers, shooting a highly efficient 6-of-8 from the floor and near-perfect 4-of-5 from 3-point range while also adding three rebounds, three assists and three steals in just over 21 minutes.
If you take a look at most projected 10-man rotations across social media in recent days, very few would include Richard and rather feature LeBron James and/or others that have been linked to Golden State whether via trade or on the free agency market.
Sure, James and a couple of others are far more worthy of a spot in the rotation, but there’s a few minimum targets who you’d question whether they’re actually upgrades? Gary Trent Jr. and Ziaire Williams, for example, are players who’ve been proposed as potential targets, but are we sure they’d actually be better options than Richard next season?Â
Friday’s notable performance may see him re-emerge in many people’s views when they think about the rotation. Richard provided a timely reminder of his two-way ability that could prove valuable if the Warriors put him in the right role. Part of the reason he’s been slightly forgotten as is because of an underwhelming end to the season, having hit the rookie wall where his 3-point shooting and overall efficiency fell off a cliff.
Richard isn’t the first player to hit the rookie wall, and it’s also no coincidence that his impact started to dwindle when Golden State suffered a spate of injury issues, including to veteran stars Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler. Once the star players go out, it’s much more difficult for a player like Richard — primarily an off-ball catch-and-shoot threat who relies on their playmaking and gravity — to be effective.
Will Richard shouldn’t be forgotten in Steve Kerr’s rotation
Even despite the underwhelming finish to the season, Richard still had an impressive rookie season where he made 21 starts and averaged 20 minutes in 69 appearances. He proved a disruptive defender on and off the ball, and his 3-point shooting should improve from the 33.5% he hit last season.
We saw those elements on full display at Chase Center on Friday night, and in truth Richard, along with the exciting Lendeborg, looked a step above the summer league level against a fairly underwhelming Lakers team.
Still, it was just what fans wanted to see while simultaneously sending a message to the front office that they may not be as short on guard/wing options than previously thought if this can be a precursor to a big second season.Â
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