Why Steve Kerr and Warriors are excited about rookie Will Richard

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Why Steve Kerr and Warriors are excited about rookie Will Richard

Kenzo Fukuda, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Fri, Oct 17, 2025 ·

4 min read

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The post Why Steve Kerr and Warriors are excited about rookie Will Richard appeared first on ClutchPoints .

SAN FRANCISCO – The fastest way into Steve Kerr 's rotation is to play smart, play hard, and play good defense. That's what Golden State Warriors second-round rookie Will Richard has done thus far in the preseason, as the shooting guard from Florida is inching himself closer and closer to some real playing time in the regular season.

After Golden State's practice on Thursday afternoon, Kerr talked about what he's liked from Richard so far.

"He's got great feel, he's a really good cutter, and the game flows when he's out there. He's making the right reads and rotations defensively. 6-foot-10 wingspan, you know? He gets his hands on a lot of balls, but it's the reads," Kerr said.

Richard got the preseason starting nod at the three with Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody, and Draymond Green not suited up. In 29 minutes, he collected 13 points and six rebounds, on 4-of-7 from the field and was a plus-10. Richard has shown a maturity in his game that's rare for rookies. In Kerr's eyes, a big part of it comes to his extensive college experience.

"The last couple of years, we've seen this with Quintin [Post] and with Will, you get these guys who went to college for four years. They've just had so many more reps. It's almost like Brock Purdy or something," Kerr said.

Richard, similar to the 49ers quarterback who was picked last in the NFL draft despite starting 46 games over four years at Iowa State, spent four years getting the reps, eventually leading the Gators to a national championship.

"It matters because you just see these pictures over and over and over. Quentin and Will came in with a different level of awareness and understanding and the ability to adopt what they've learned immediately, because they've seen things so often."

Can Richard earn playing time in the regular season?

Richard's teammates have also emphasized that he asks a lot of questions. They've described him as a sponge, looking for any way to absorb the knowledge and experience of his vets. Last week, Warriors star Stephen Curry shared his early impressions of Richard.

"He plays hard right now, and that is a skill," Curry said.

"He's just moving. Just playing hard, competing. You can tell his defensive abilities; his ceiling is pretty high as a two-way player. I know his offense right now will come with time, being able to be a knock-down shooter with open shots and be able to finish possessions. But I just love the way he approaches the game with his competitiveness, his energy. You can tell he cares. That is a skillset that will carry you a long way."

Where that carries Richard in his rookie season remains to be seen. While he's demonstrated he can contribute good minutes to this Warriors team, a lot of guards stand in front of him for playing time. Kerr acknowledged it would take some injuries for Richard to get minutes, citing Moody's calf injury as why Richard started last game, but also expressed confidence in Richard when he eventually gets that opportunity.

"This is kind of what the league is all about.  You know, [assistant coach] Ron Adams says this constantly. It's a show me league. Show me that you can play. That means the second you get your opportunity, [you'd] better show me. And Will has 100% shown me and shown Ron and shown our whole staff he can play."

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