Short-Handed Warriors Lean on Rookie Will Richard to Crush Grizzlies 133–112 and Stop the Skid

The Golden State Warriors walked into Memphis on Wednesday night with a roster that barely resembled the one they planned for this season.
No Stephen Curry.
No Kristaps Porzingis.
No Draymond Green.
And of course, no Jimmy Butler, whose long-term injury has left Golden State without the two-way anchor they were counting on after acquiring him.

Even De’Anthony Melton, their leading scorer from the previous night, was unavailable.

Yet somehow, the Warriors found a way to dominate.

Behind a collective, energized effort — and a breakout performance from rookie guard Will Richard — the Warriors blasted the Memphis Grizzlies 133–112, snapping frustration and adding a much-needed win during a stretch defined by injuries and constant roster shuffling.

Will Richard Explodes: 21 Points, All-Around Impact in Breakout Performance

The moment was there, and Richard seized it.

With Golden State missing nearly every top option, the rookie turned in the best performance of his young career:

• 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting

• 5 rebounds

• 6 assists

• 3 steals

Richard’s stat line made him just the fourth rookie this season to post at least 20-5-5-3, joining Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Jeremiah Fears — an impressive group for the Warriors’ late-blooming guard to be mentioned alongside.

What made Richard’s performance special wasn’t just the scoring.
It was the poise.
The reads.
The defensive instincts.
The way he orchestrated the offense like a player much older than 20 years old.

On a night when stars were absent, he didn’t just fill space — he took over tones of the game.

Eight Warriors in Double Figures: A True Collective Win

Head coach Steve Kerr needed a full-team response, and he got it.
Eight Warriors scored in double digits, a level of balance rarely seen even in healthy lineups:

• Richard (21)

• Role players stepping up

• Bench contributions throughout

• Better spacing, faster pace, more defensive activity

Golden State played with loose energy — the kind that surfaces in “nothing to lose” games where trust becomes the organizing force. Memphis, firmly in tank mode, couldn’t match the Warriors’ urgency or execution.

Context Matters: The Warriors Are Surviving Chaos

This season has tested the franchise in ways most couldn’t imagine.

• Curry’s knee setback

• Porzingis dealing with multiple absences

• Draymond’s ongoing physical recovery and availability roller coaster

• Butler’s long-term injury derailing the two-way punch the team desperately needed

• The fallout from trading Jonathan Kuminga, who the team hoped would be a cornerstone

• The newly acquired piece from that trade struggling with POTS and unable to establish rhythm

Every week has brought more adversity, more adjustments.

That’s why this win — against a tanking team or not — matters.

The Warriors haven’t quit.
They haven’t folded.
They’re still fighting for identity, relevance, and stability during the most challenging season of the Kerr era.

What Will Richard’s Emergence Means Going Forward

This is the real storyline.

Richard hasn’t just filled minutes — he’s shown flashes of foundational value.
Enough to justify more opportunities.
Enough to become part of the Warriors’ long-term thinking.

Golden State needs young players who can produce, and urgently.
Richard has shown:

• Creation ability

• Defensive instincts

• Composure as a ball handler

• Confidence shooting

• Positionless versatility in Kerr’s movement-heavy scheme

His performance wasn’t an outlier — it was a sign.

If he keeps this up, he’s not just earning minutes.
He’s earning a future role.

Bottom Line: The Warriors Aren’t Whole, But They Aren’t Done

This season has been a grind — emotionally, physically, tactically.
The names missing from the lineup tell one story.
But the players stepping up tell another.

Golden State won a game they could’ve easily lost.
They built momentum they badly needed.
And they may have unlocked a rising rookie guard who can help stabilize a shaky year.

The Warriors’ season isn’t over — not yet.
And if Will Richard keeps ascending, the future may be brighter than the standings suggest.