Surprising Warriors rotation change paves way for Will Richard’s big night originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO — When the Warriors needed a spark on the heels of three consecutive gut-wrenching defeats, Golden State turned to a player who was a healthy scratch in each of those contests — Will Richard.
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The 22-year-old rookie proved to be the difference in Golden State’s 119-116 win over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday at Chase Center, dropping 20 points on 6-of-7 shooting including a perfect 4 of 4 from beyond the 3-point line. Richard was a perfect 6 of 6 to begin the game and didn’t record his lone miss until well into the fourth quarter.
“Unbelievable performance, coming off an extended time not being in the rotation,” Steph Curry said of Richard’s efforts in Saturday’s win. “The way he played, not just his scoring, but just his presence all over the floor.”
However, Richard’s impact on the Warriors’ bounce-back victory wouldn’t have been possible without ending a different streak. Buddy Hield had suited up and played in every possible game since joining Golden State before the 2024-25 NBA season (110 consecutive games) and had an even larger consecutive-game streak that extended well beyond his time in the Bay.
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That streak would come to an end Saturday, as Hield was the only Warriors player to be a healthy scratch in their gritty win over the Suns.
“I replaced [Hield] in the rotation with Will,” Kerr said. “I told him beforehand, I feel terrible, he had a streak of 199 games in a row, it was one of the longest streaks in the league and one of the things I love about Buddy is he’s there for you every single night.
“He’s the greatest teammate ever and just an amazing spirit and a key part of our team, and it felt terrible not to play him, but I sat Will the last five or six games and we needed to get him back out there and you can see why. Buddy’s time will come back around, it always does. He has got the right attitude, he’s going to keep working and getting shots up and I know things will work out for him.”
Beyond the spacing and gravitational pull Hield offers as one of the NBA’s most respected 3-point shooters, it’s clear how much his personality impacts the Warriors’ morale as they navigate the marathon that is an 82-game regular season.
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While Hield surely was disappointed with the news he would be bumped for the rotation in favor of the rookie, Richard revealed how the veteran sharpshooter admirably handled the change, maintaining his positive energy and demeanor while supporting his young teammate’s return to action at the cost of his own playing time.
“Buddy is the same every day. He’s always going to be the guy bringing energy to the team,” Richard said. “Always supporting me no matter what. He definitely handled it well and he has been doing a great job of being the same guy every day bringing the energy and just being a guy everyone knows they can look to for support.”
Richard hadn’t played a single minute in nearly two weeks, with his last appearance coming on Dec. 7 in the Warriors’ blowout win over the Chicago Bulls, where he finished the game as a plus-36 in 24:11 minutes of action.
So how exactly did Richard remain prepared to come out firing on all cylinders despite a prolonged absence from the court?
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“Working out a lot. Afternoon shootaround, I was at every one of those,” Richard said. “I knew my time was going to be called so I had to be ready when my time.”
After hitting a big 3-pointer during Golden State’s second-half comeback, Richard took a moment to face the rabid Chase Center crowd and share a special moment with the raucous fanbase that was in the process of erupting in response to his heroic efforts.
Going from three consecutive DNPs to having a sellout crowd of 18,064 losing their minds over your contributions would be a roller coaster of emotions for even the most seasoned NBA veterans. How does the 22-year-old rookie compartmentalize that? What are you supposed to think as you’re stamping your impact on a game after not even getting the chance to see the court in two weeks?
For Richard, it’s all about keeping it simple and focusing on what matters most.
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“Just trying to win,” Richard said. “I don’t really think a lot when I’m out there, I’m just trying to win games.”
