Steph Curry praises former Florida G Will Richard: ‘Pretty special’
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One year ago, Will Richard was preparing for his senior season at Florida. Friday morning, he woke up an NCAA champion who just played a key role down the stretch of the Golden State Warriors’ 137-131 overtime win versus the Denver Nuggets.
Richard’s final stat line — 6 points (2-of-5 FG, 1-of-4 3P), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal — won’t draw intense fanfare. But when Steph Curry speaks on someone, you listen. And Curry, in his postgame press conference, talked Richard up after his strong showing.
“There’s something about winning players at whatever level. He’s a champion for a reason down there in Florida,” Curry said. “[He] just understands basketball, sees the game really well. He’s fearless. The lights aren’t too bright for him. He knows he’s got a lot of growth ahead of him, but for him to make his presence felt like that… it lifts the whole group. It’s pretty special to watch him.”
Curry specifically mentioned a key sequence late in regulation when discussing Richard’s impact. Trailing 109-100 with 6:50 remaining in the fourth quarter, Richard grabbed a jump ball and raced up the right wing. Demonstrating the fearlessness Curry mentioned, he pulled up from behind the arc and nailed a 3-pointer to cut the Nuggets’ lead to 6.
Richard didn’t always get the opportunity to take the most pivotal shots at Florida because Walter Clayton Jr. was there. As long as Curry is healthy, he won’t find the ball in his hands at the end of games with the Warriors, either.
But the more he proves himself, like he did on Thursday night, the better chance he’ll have to see the floor in true crunch time. Golden State is back in action Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers (10:00 p.m. ET).
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