The Golden State Warriors just dropped some absolutely brutal news for Monday night’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans: second-year guard Will Richard is officially out indefinitely. We’re talking a torn ulnar collateral ligament, a UCL, in his left thumb. This is a massive hit to the rotation and honestly, it couldn’t come at a worse time.
Kerr’s Rotation Just Got Thinner, And It Was Already Thin
Indefinitely. That’s a gut punch, right? A 2023 study found that NBA players with in-season thumb UCL tears typically miss about 7.4 weeks of action, but seriously, that’s just an average. Kings forward Keegan Murray was sidelined for 15 games last year with a similar injury. Whether Richard is out for a month, three, or even longer, this means head coach Steve Kerr is now missing a fourth key player in his rotation. Richard is joining Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody, and Kristaps Porzingis on that growing list of guys with prolonged absences. How are you supposed to build momentum when you keep losing key pieces?
Richard’s Defensive Punch Is Gone, And That’s a Problem
This isn’t just any injury either. Richard was actually off to a pretty promising start in his sophomore season. He was averaging 5.1 points and 1.8 rebounds, shooting 47.5% from the field, 42.9% from three, and 80.0% from the line, all in just 17.2 minutes per game across 10 appearances, including three starts. Remember when the Warriors picked him up in a 2025 draft night trade, 56th overall? The dude helped Florida snag a National Championship in college and he immediately looked like a steal in Golden State. He even exploded for 30 points in his seventh NBA game and quickly became a rotation mainstay. While he never quite hit those insane heights again, he developed into a solid role player whose impact often depended on his jump shot. This season, he was draining his threes, showing veteran savvy with backcuts, and crucially, he was one of Kerr’s go-to guys for point of attack defense against those shifty, quick guards. And let’s be real, Golden State already struggles with point of attack defense. Now, they have zero obvious replacements for that part of Richard’s game. That’s a major, major red flag.
So, who steps up? Gary Payton II is likely going to see a lot more opportunities. And maybe we’ll get a few minutes from two-way wing Malevy Leons. But can they truly fill that defensive void Richard leaves? The Warriors have to figure this out fast as they gear up to face the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night. This isn’t just about winning one game; it’s about holding things together while key players are out, especially when you lose a guy who brought a specific, much-needed skill set.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Golden State of Mind.
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