The Golden State Warriors are known as one of the oldest teams in the NBA.
With Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Al Horford starting, this season is probably the oldest lineup in the league.
Despite widespread skepticism about their age, the Warriors have proven competitive, starting 2-0 against the top opponents in the Western Conference.
However, the roster includes young players as well as veterans, with Jonathan Kuminga, Quinten Post, and Brandin Podzemski providing youth depth.
Rookie Will Richard has recently been in the spotlight after his strong preseason and early season performances.
After a great performance against the Denver Nuggets, Stephen Curry gave Richard the title of champion.
“There’s something about a player that wins at any level. At Florida, he’s a champion for a reason. When we played against L.J. (Cryer) in the preseason, we saw guys who played important basketball in college, and that still matters,” Curry explained.
“I know the league is getting younger in the draft, but when you find a guy like that who understands basketball, he sees the game really well. He’s fearless and the lights aren’t too bright for him,” he added.
Richard was a 22-year-old second-round pick, but he quickly adapted to the Warriors’ system and earned Curry’s approval.
He scored five points against the Lakers and added six points against the Nuggets, including a crucial 3-pointer in the fourth quarter.
“So, he knows he has a lot of growth ahead of him, but making his presence felt – jump balls, 50-50 balls, coming down, hitting threes, starting to talk, rebounding – he felt all of those things were important because it elevates the whole group,” Curry said.
“So watching him do what he’s supposed to do in the preseason and the last two games was pretty special,” he concluded.
The Warriors have had consistent success acquiring second-round picks.
Green and Post embody that track record, and Richard could be a developmental success story for the series’ upcoming second round.