Latest news with #WillRichard
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Warriors draft pick Will Richard looks like a steal after NBA Summer League
Warriors draft pick Will Richard looks like a steal after NBA Summer League originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area The goal will be simple when the Warriors step on the court Saturday in Las Vegas for their eighth and final Summer League game. Get to the final horn in excellent health. After seven games, including three in the California Classic, significant decisions are at least 80-percent settled. Several players showed enough for further evaluation but only one appears ready to compete for a role in the NBA. Guard Will Richard, three months removed from winning a national championship at the University of Florida, has a chance to contribute for Golden State. Maybe as a rookie. Though six games, Richard is averaging team-highs in minutes (23.9 per game), scoring (11.5 points) and steals (1.7). He's shooting 42.4 percent (25-of-59) from the field, and only 20.7 percent (6-of-29) from deep. The Warriors anticipate his 3-ball to come around, a 6-foot-4 guard shooting 63.3 percent inside the arc – and 92.9 from the line – is testimony to finding buckets. After shooting 9 of 26 from the field and 2 of 11 from deep in his first two games, during the California Classic, Richard's efficiency has trended up since the season moved to Vegas. He's shooting 48.5 percent from the field, 22.2 percent from distance and an astonishing 80 percent inside the arc. And it's not as if the NBA Warriors are blessed with a surplus of finishers in the paint. 'It's clear,' Warriors Summer League coach Lainn Wilson told reporters in Vegas this week, 'that he's starting to look a little more comfortable.' Beyond the numbers, what seems particularly valuable to Golden State is Richard's relentless energy and considerable defensive aptitude, which are packaged with the kind of composure that develops over 105 starts for an elite college program. With Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler III and Draymond Green accounting for more than 80 percent of the 2025-26 payroll, the Warriors are limited to supporting their core by adding relatively cheap labor. A taxpayer midlevel exception, and then vet minimums and youngsters on rookie deals. They were in no position to offer Kevon Looney the two-year, $16 million contract he signed with the New Orleans Pelicans – especially when the front office feels good about the chance to add veteran center Al Horford. With unrestricted free agent Gary Payton II still on the market, the Warriors do not have a strong point-of-attack defender. There still is a chance GP II returns, according to league sources, but it would be at a significant reduction from his $9.1 million salary last season. Knowing Payton could hit the market after the 2022 NBA Finals championship, the Warriors shopped for a POA defender in the '22 draft, snagging Ryan Rollins in the second round. He was shipped out a year later in the Chris Paul trade and now is in Milwaukee. The Warriors brought in De'Anthony Melton, who has strong defensive credentials, last season, only to lose him three weeks into the season to a torn ACL. He'll be back in the league next season, and the Warriors are at his door. Which brings us back to Richard. At 6-foot-4, with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, he shows the kind of two-way effectiveness coach Steve Kerr and his staff are craving. He's 22 years old and probably would have the lowest salary on the roster. For someone who was the 56th overall selection in the 2025 draft, he plays like a keeper. Yes, Golden State's primary goal against the Cleveland Cavaliers (4:30 p.m. on NBA TV) in the consolation game Saturday at Cox Pavilion is to escape unscathed. It offers the Warriors one more look at Richard in 'game conditions' before training camp. As if they need it. Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dubs Talk: Could rookie Will Richard be Warriors' Gary Payton II replacement?
'Dubs Talk' hosts Monte Poole and Dalton Johnson discuss the Warriors' 2025 NBA draft pick Will Richard and how he would fit in with Golden State. Dubs Talk: Could rookie Will Richard be Warriors' Gary Payton II replacement? originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
San Francisco Chronicle
6 days ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
How watching Warriors convinced Will Richard to change sports and transform his body
LAS VEGAS — His workout over with the Golden State Warriors, Will Richard walked into an office inside Chase Center with general manager Mike Dunleavy and other team staffers to watch a replay of the first half of the NCAA championship game. Conversations covered Richard's four 3-pointers, a mid-range jumper, four rebounds and a steal. They didn't cover his favorite contribution to Florida's 66-63 victory over Houston in the Alamodome on April 7. With the Gators clinging to a one-point lead with 20-plus seconds to play, the senior secured his last collegiate steal — swiping the basketball off the Houston ballhandler from the strongside corner via perfect help. 'He was always there to pick us up when need be, and he was always there to play a great supporting role in every way, shape and form,' Gators associate head coach Carlin Hartman said. Stop. Score. Championship. 'That championship — as a whole — doesn't happen without Will Richard.' The timely shot-making, connective cutting, dogged defense and steely demeanor that steadied the Gators would woo the Warriors, who acquired Richard through last month's NBA draft. The smiley 6-foot-4 swingman with tapered locs and a tattooed sleeve — forming with Christian allegory one half of his 6-foot-10 wingspan — has been displaying it all for their summer league squad in the California Classic and at UNLV. Belying his statistical output this summer — 12.4 points on 44.9% shooting, 21.7% 3-point shooting, 4.2 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals — is the determination developed in his hometown of Ooltewah, Tenn., advanced in Atlanta, burnished at Belmont and fortified at Florida the past three years. As a longtime fan of the Warriors from afar, Richard willed his way to Golden State. The Warriors hosted Richard's penultimate predraft workout among the 17 in which he participated. Training began a week after the national championship. Graduation from Florida followed a few weeks later for Richard, his degree in management of sport secured. While in Gainesville, Fla., Richard also was schooled in the nuance of Florida's free-flowing offense and was a willing defender, making him ideal fit for Golden State as the 56th pick. The franchise has turned draft picks in the 50s (Gui Santos, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Quinten Post) the past three years into contributors, and Richard is thrilled so far with his fit, immersing himself in the Warriors way. 'I like that we play fast,' Richard said last week after Golden State's first practice in Las Vegas. 'They want you to play free, but on the other end you've got to guard with ball pressure and stuff like that. Just playing hard. Playing fast and playing physical.' The youngest of three children (along with Sara and AJ) born to Helen and Al, Richard was raised in Ooltewah, a rural town 20 miles east of Chattanooga populated by 406. His father played defensive line at Clemson and worked at a nuclear power plant, doubling as an ordained minister. His mother tended their tight-knit home and taught her children at Sunday school. Faith in Christ forms Richard's foundation and the basis of his tattooed sleeve — along with undying faith in himself, like his father, a football player. As 'a little chubby kid,' Richard manned the trenches, working the offensive and defensive lines until a burgeoning love for basketball — and the Warriors — would end his foray on the football field. It would also start a commitment to fitness, coinciding with a move to suburban Atlanta, where his father franchised a Chick-fil-A restaurant ahead of Richard's ninth-grade year. The 230-pound freshman forward — with advice from his father, who played alongside several NFL players at Clemson — chiseled his body through force of focus, a pescatarian diet, running, running, running and running. 'Summers were miserable, but it paid off,' Richard said. Without prompting, Richard would rise to sprint up the hills by his Atlanta home, often in a weighted vest and under the brooding Southern heat. By his junior season at Woodward Academy — to which he transferred after two years at Fayette County High School, seeking superior college preparation — he redefined his athletic profile, trimming to 195 pounds. Richard 'completely … willed himself into the athlete he is today,' his father said. College interest piqued toward Richard upon his junior season at Woodward, Georgia's state champion for which he was second in scoring and rebounding to Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler. Daily workouts at 6 a.m. preceded the start of the scholastic schedule, affording Richard the coaching and practice to reconstruct his jumper unabated. Absent Kessler, Richard would be featured as a senior in 2020-21, but COVID-19 compromised summertime recruiting during the club basketball season. High-major programs didn't recruit Richard, but Belmont was steadfast in its pursuit. Bruins head coach Casey Alexander watched streams of Richard's games and regularly recruited him via videoconference. 'He just kept working, kept working, kept working,' Woodward coach Anthony Thomas said. 'He was so grateful to get the attention he was getting, he had no problem going to Belmont.' Richard pledged to play for Belmont without meeting Alexander face to face, visiting its campus in Nashville with his family and meeting his head coach when he moved that summer. He found a fit on an experienced team (that included Indiana Pacers wing Ben Sheppard) through his versatility and scoring craft. Richard also was a plus athlete in the Ohio Valley Conference. Richard averaged 12.1 points (46.8% shooting, 32.6% 3-point shooting), 6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals as a freshman, guarding power forwards and playing the wing in Belmont's four-out offense. Alexander said, 'Because of what we had around him, we just needed him to be a really good, solid piece for us on both ends, and he was more than that.' And a soon-to-be starter in the SEC. The successes of Richard's freshman season spawned a trek through the transfer portal, in which dozens of programs solicited his skills. Richard said his recruitment as a transfer was 'completely different' than it was in high school. Florida head coach Todd Golden called Richard every day he was in the portal, drawing a visit from Richard to Gainesville and soon his first-ever signee with the Gators. Golden 'said I could be a huge part of bringing the team back to the national championship, and seeing that come to fruition was special,' Richard said. First at Florida his sophomore season, Richard found a fit as a complementary wing who would catch and shoot from beyond the arc, drive against closeouts and guard the perimeter. As the Gators evolved, so did Richard — establishing his voice as Florida's leader while sharpening and deepening his set of skills. 'Our coach on the floor,' said Hartman, Richard's closest confidant on the coaching staff. As an upperclassman, Richard 'was the guy that was breaking down' Gators huddles and keying defensive communication. He relished his role, noting leadership helped him 'take the pressure off, thinking about myself all the time. I'm thinking about how I can make my teammates better. … Once I started honing into that leader role, I feel like my game elevated.' Richard started 105 of the 108 games he played at Florida, averaging 11.8 points (46.2% shooting, 36.3% 3-point shooting), 4.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 steals. As a senior en route to the national title — a journey that included Sweet 16 and Elite Eight wins at Chase Center — he tallied 13.3 points (48.7% shooting, 35.9% 3-point shooting), 4.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.7 steals. Pro prep continued after the season in Los Angeles and pre-draft workouts followed, none more significant than that for Golden State. ' Stephen Curry was his hero,' the elder Richard said. The younger Richard met Curry during the California Classic, calling their meeting a 'top-three moment' in his life. When Richard would shoot in Ooltewah, then still 'a big chunky kid' per his dad, he would stretch his range past 30 feet, inspired by Curry and teammate Klay Thompson. He fancied the Warriors 'for the way they play. … They play a fun brand of basketball. They play together. They have fun with it. They shoot a lot of threes, cuts, all that. … Just play the right way.' They drafted Richard to play that way with them. Said Richard: 'This is where I wanted to be.'
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Spurs fans are buzzing after thrilling finish to Summer League game vs. Warriors
The post Spurs fans are buzzing after thrilling finish to Summer League game vs. Warriors appeared first on ClutchPoints. NBA fans continue to be spoiled; just two weeks after the final buzzer had sounded to mark the end of the 2025 NBA Finals, there is plenty of action to be had already — with the Summer League kicking off in Salt Lake and in California. And on Sunday, the California Classic brought fans a barnburner, with the San Antonio Spurs overcoming the Golden State Warriors, 90-88, in what was quite an exhilarating finish to the ballgame. Advertisement The Spurs may not have had Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant active, but that did not make the game any less exciting. After all, the Warriors' Summer Leaguers gave it their all. Warriors guard Will Richard, in particular, looked as though he was going to shoot Golden State into the victory after he drained a triple to cut the Spurs' lead to just one with around 30 seconds left in the contest. However, Richard could not make it two triples in a row, with his attempt at a game-winning three at the buzzer clanking off the front iron of the rim, sealing the Spurs' victory. The Spurs' blue-chip prospects may not have played, but that only opened up the opportunity for David Jones-Garcia, a Memphis alum, to do the bulk of the heavy lifting for San Antonio. He finished with 25 points on an extremely efficient 9-14 shooting night from the field. He made four of his seven three-point attempts, and even though he turned the ball over six times, he flashed quite the three-level scoring game. Advertisement Fans celebrated this Spurs win on X, with many giving props to Jones-Garcia for his excellent performance. 'Ok who the heck is David Jones-Garcia ? ! ! ! 😳 I am looking and I am liking !!! I'm already a believer, sign him Wright, sign him!' @TonyTexas47 wrote. 'Hell yeah that David jones-Garcia kid looks real good,' @AuwaerterD9040 added. Spurs to find their next undrafted gem? Brett Davis-Imagn Images The Spurs, over the past 30 or s0 years, have made it a habit to develop an undrafted gem into a quality role player in the NBA. Bruce Bowen might be the best example of this. Avery Johnson was a key contributor on the 1999 Spurs squad that won the NBA Finals. Jonathon Simmons was quite the player for the Spurs for a while. And in today's roster, Julian Champagnie has developed into one of the best role players in the league, a true 3-and-D player who can catch fire from deep rather quickly. Advertisement Perhaps Jones-Garcia would be the next in a long line of undrafted Spurs gems. Related: Ranking 4 best Bradley Beal destinations once he completes Suns buyout Related: Spurs' Carter Bryant drops truth bomb about Summer League debut
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The big takeaway from Warriors rookie Will Richard's Summer League debut
The post The big takeaway from Warriors rookie Will Richard's Summer League debut appeared first on ClutchPoints. There's something intriguing about the two-way potential of Will Richard, one of the Golden State Warriors' two 2nd-round rookies. After his debut was delayed by pending trade finalizations, Richard finally took the floor for the Dubs' Summer League squad and took the California Classic by storm. Advertisement The shooting guard who helped lead Florida to a national championship finished with 16 points, four rebounds, two steals, and a +13 plus/minus in his debut. He also had a chance to win the game on a deep 3-pointer, but came up just shy. But what's more intriguing than his positive stat line was the 3-and-D wing potential he put on display. On the very first possession of the game, Richard swiped the ball away from the Spurs' David Jones-Garcia and ran the floor for a layup, getting his first bucket and steal in one fell swoop. After the game, Richard talked about his defensive mindset from the opening tip. Advertisement 'I have a lot of length on defense. And I can do a good job of knowing where the ball is going to be,' Richard said. 'So for me, just being aggressive. As soon as I saw him bring it down, I knew I could have a chance to steal the ball.' Richard's defense didn't stop there. The No. 56 pick in the 2025 draft used his 6-4 frame and 6-10 wingspan all night long, hounding the Spurs ball-handlers and forcing bad turnovers. After the game, summer league head coach Lainn Wilson talked about Richard's understanding of individual and team defense. 'His activity on the ball– he was doing what we asked off the ball as well. There wasn't many times where he was caught out of position. Obviously he's a pretty aggressive player, so that'd be the only time he gets burned. But we can honestly work with guys that are pretty aggressive.' Advertisement Can Richard help the Warriors this season? It's dangerous to get overexcited about a 2nd-rounder. Especially in a single summer league game. But again, there's something more to Richard that was visible in this one-off summer league game. It's got something to do with his size, which is hard to describe because Richard plays bigger than 6-foot-4. And that long wingspan of his was handy on more than a couple of occasions, especially with how active his hands were defensively. Offensively, it was a little more of a mixed bag. Richard was 3-of-10 from the field, struggling with his shot outside the paint at times. But what he did do well was attack the paint and draw fouls. He was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line and earned every trip by seeking out contact. Advertisement Richard also ran the floor extremely well. In transition, his teammates found him streaking down the lane a number of times, which usually resulted in points. Richard had a nice transition three as well as a highlight-worthy alley-oop, all because he ran the floor right. But while there were plenty of encouraging signs for Richard, the Warriors shouldn't count on him dynamically changing their destiny this upcoming season. Can he be a trustworthy wing option for Steve Kerr somewhere along the way this season? Potentially. His IQ, hustle, and length are all things Kerr and the Warriors could use. But like many on the Dubs' roster, he lacks on-ball shot creation. Simply put: if he can't knock down an open jumper after the defense doubles Stephen Curry, he's not going to see the floor. And right now, there's still a bit of an adjustment period to the NBA 3-point line. Still, if this game is a true glimpse of what Richard can be, then the Warriors can add another 2nd-round hit to their growing list of late-round gems. Advertisement Related: Stephen Curry's dad Dell reveals what Warriors need to get over hump Related: The move Golden State Warriors still must make in 2025 NBA free agency
