Will Richard was highly regarded coming out of Florida, and the 56th pick believes he has the necessary skill set to help the Golden State Warriors this season as a rookie.
Richard helped Florida to its third national championship last season, averaging 13.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.7 steals on 35.9% shooting from 3-point range. He recorded 66 steals, the fourth-highest single-season total in program history.
The 6-foot-5 forward has the potential to develop into a steady 3-and-D option off the bench for Steve Kerr, based on his playing style in college. He believes those traits can help him carve out a role and contribute to the Warriors this season.
I’d probably say just my defense. I feel like that’s something I can hone in on early. Just coming out and guarding as hard as I can and helping out other guys on the floor. I would say catch-and-shoot, being able to cut and play off the ball and things like that. Those are areas that I can help right away. I want to come in and help the team anyway as much as possible.
Richard debuted with the Warriors in summer league, averaging 11.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.5 assists on 43.1% shooting from the field in six games. He finished in double figures five times, including a 16-point effort on July 6 in a loss to San Antonio.
The 22-year-old signed a four-year, $8.69 million rookie contract with the Warriors on Monday. The pact, via the second-round pick exception, is fully guaranteed for the first two years and includes a team option in the final season.
Richard spent time with the team at a minicamp organized by Jimmy Butler last week in San Diego. The get-together gave him a firsthand look at how veterans prepare themselves for an NBA season, which further ignited his excitement for the year.
“It was great seeing how they played,” Richard said. “For me, it was important to just watch how they move and watch how intentional everything they do is. Just being able to play with them, see how they compete at a high level, that was the most important thing for me, just being able to learn from them during that time.”
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Warriors news: Will Richard names key traits to contribute as a rookie
