Golden State Warriors guard Will Richard has sustained a torn ligament in his left thumb and is anticipated to be out for an unspecified duration.
The franchise placed the second-year player on its injury report Sunday with a torn ulnar collateral ligament, which rules him out of Monday’s home matchup against New Orleans. Golden State was wrapping up a six-game homestand, but since there was no practice or media session on Sunday, the Warriors did not offer a recovery timeline or specifics regarding a treatment approach.
The setback arrives as Richard has developed into a valuable contributor amid Golden State’s current stretch of seven straight wins following an 0-3 beginning to the campaign.
Will Richard’s injury leave the Warriors without a key contributor?
Richard has logged significant minutes both as a starter and coming off the bench, earning two starts over the past week against Phoenix and Miami. His defensive intensity has also drawn praise from Stephen Curry.
Following the Warriors’ 116-113 win over the Suns, Curry pointed to Richard’s impact on the team’s improved play, stating the guard had delivered greater energy on defence across three straight games.
“Defensively he’s just been a pest out there,” Curry said, while also giving credit to the broader roster for settling into their roles and helping Golden State generate momentum.
Warriors guard Will Richard’s season numbers and recovery outlook
The 23-year-old was taken in the second round of last year’s draft after helping Florida capture the national championship. He is posting averages of 5.1 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game this season, shooting 47.5% from the field and 42.9% from beyond the arc.
Richard’s injury resembles the one sustained by Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray early last season. Murray had surgery and sat out the first 15 games of the campaign.
However, Golden State has not yet disclosed how Richard’s injury will be handled or how long he is expected to stay unavailable.