Will Richards has been one of the biggest positives through the first 21 games for the Golden State Warriors, yet the impending additions of Seth Curry and De’Anthony Melton could mean the end of the rookie’s honeymoon phase in the franchise.
The Warriors announced Saturday that Melton could make his long-awaited return from injury this week, while reports emerged Sunday that the front office plans to sign Curry on Monday after being forced to part ways with the veteran sharpshooter at the end of the preseason due to financial constraints.
Will Richard’s honeymoon phase with Warriors may soon end
The returns of Melton and Curry are only set to add to an already guard-heavy rotation – one that Richard has been able to slide into despite being taken with the 56th overall selection in June’s NBA Draft.
One or multiple players will have to make way for Melton who emerges as a key player once he gets up and running. As impressive as Richard has been in his first 19 NBA games, he may be the easiest option for Steve Kerr to remove from the uncertain rotation.
One could argue that this is unfair and unfair, especially when Richard has been a solid starter for the Warriors in seven of the last nine games. However, history tells us that Kerr has no problem taking starting players out of the rotation, or even doing the opposite by elevating non-rotation players into starting roles.
Based on form so far this season, you could argue that Richard deserves to be ranked ahead of players like Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield and Gary Payton II. Yet removing Podziemski or Hield from the rotation entirely would be far more noticeable and generate more controversy than Richard, while Payton has won a few more games in the rotation with a surprising 19-point, 11-rebound performance against the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night.
We also understand that strong performances from Richard won’t necessarily translate into big moments in the next game. The 22-year-old was one of Golden State’s best players with 18 points and six rebounds in Wednesday’s loss to the Houston Rockets, but he was removed from the starting lineup and played less than 20 minutes against the Pelicans.
It’s inconceivable that Richard could lose his role in the rotation, but these updates on Melton and Curry could lead to a classic ‘Kerr move’ due to the veterans and their remarkable faith in Podziemski.
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