The Warriors find another treasure at the end of the second round. Curry’s new knife-wielding guard must be him.

Sports Weekly All-Media Reporter Dong Changshuo

holds two picks after No. 50. No one pays attention to the performance of the Golden State Warriors in this year's draft. However, in the summer league and preseason games, Golden State's No. 56 pick Will Richard has shown his potential to enter a stable rotation during his rookie season.

In today's game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Richard, who started the game, made 4 of 7 shots in 29 minutes of playing time, including 3 of 5 three-pointers, contributing 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. Although there were 5 turnovers and 4 fouls, the flaws were not concealed. In the 29 minutes he was on the court, the Warriors beat their opponents by 10 points.

On the offensive end, Richard's most outstanding feature is his stable and confident three-point shooting ability. For example, in the first offensive round of the third quarter of today's game, one second Richard was still falling to the corner to straighten his long hair, and the next second he received Curry's pass and quickly completed the shot, hitting a three-pointer against the defense.

During four years of college, although Richard's three-point shooting average was only 35.5%, it showed a gradual improvement trend. Considering the drag on 31% of his three-point shooting percentage while holding the ball, his catch-and-shoot stability is greatly underestimated. In the 2025 NCAA championship game, Richard contributed 18 points and scored 4 three-pointers in the first half to help Florida win the championship trophy.

In addition to three-point shooting, Richard's ability to cut and share the ball in half-court battles also reflects his excellent game understanding and golf intelligence.

What is even more eye-catching is Richard's far above average ability to bite the ball. In summer league and preseason games, he has completed direct steals in 1-on-1 more than once. Last season, after Wiggins left the team, the Warriors' one-on-one defense has been criticized, and Richard's biting ability seems to be able to fill this gap. On the other hand, next to Curry, the team's defense at the second position is particularly critical.

In today's game, Avdija tried to name Curry through a pick-and-roll with Holiday in the first round. Richard read quickly and first helped Curry double-team Avdija to force the ball away. Then he quickly chased to the other side of the field, promptly made up for Holiday, who was briefly left open, and forced him to make a turnover. As a rookie player, the series of defensive decisions in this round are breathtaking.

What is even more surprising is that according to Richard's speech in an interview after the game, he had never trained with the Warriors' first team before today's game. He only learned that he would be the starter during shooting training. You know, Butler and Horford are the only ones who have been able to seamlessly connect with the Warriors recently.

After today's game, Cole was even more complimentary about Richard. "Richard looks good, he really knows how to be in the right spots. Not only is he active on the defensive end, but he can hit three-pointers on the offensive end. We are excited about his performance, he is a great player. A lot can happen in 82 regular season games, and I would not hesitate to schedule Richard I have full confidence in him now. "Active defense, strong leading defense, stable three-pointers, frequent air cuts, selfless sharing of the ball and visible golf intelligence, these are the game characteristics that are most popular with Cole, and you seem to be able to find some flashes in Richard.

After getting Richard in the draft, Dunleavy said this when talking about his choice: "We think Richard is a player who can shoot and defend. He is very good on the ball and off the ball defensively, and has a good figure. In college, he grew up under the wings of an excellent coach and in the system, and he knows how to play." Richard quickly confirmed Dunleavy's expectations with his actual performance. At the end of September, the Warriors locked Richard in with a four-year contract, with the first two years fully guaranteed, which is enough to prove that the management and coaching staff recognize him.

Before Richard entered the team, the Warriors had been trying to find the answer that best suited the team and Curry at the second position. In the new season, Melton, Moody and Podemski are all regarded as popular contenders; Payton II also has the opportunity to spend a certain amount of time at the second and third positions. Now, as Richard shines, the competition for the Warriors' position will become more intense, and Payton's role is under direct threat.

If Richard can show stable three-pointers and air-cut finishing abilities, and control his mistakes and overly aggressive defensive mentality, even if he will not become a player with better overall abilities than Podemski and Moody, he will still have a good chance of becoming the knife-carrying guard who is most suitable to partner with Curry.