Golden State Warriors guard Will Richard has a torn ligament in his left thumb that will sideline him for an undetermined stretch.
The Warriors listed Richard on the injury report on Sunday with a torn ulnar collateral ligament, and he missed Monday’s game against New Orleans at Chase Center, which closed out a six-game homestand. Golden State did not hold practice or make players available to the media on Sunday, so there was no immediate timetable for Richard’s recovery and no known treatment plan.
Key contributor in a turnaround
Richard has provided important minutes as both a starter and a reserve as Golden State has won seven straight games since an 0-3 start. He made two starts last week, against Phoenix and Miami.
Stephen Curry credited the team’s clearer sense of roles for helping the Warriors build momentum after they dropped their first three games.
“Everybody having an impact, throw Will Richard in there, too, he’s had three straight games really where he’s turned up the energy defensively for us,” Curry said after a 116-113 win over the Suns on Monday. “Defensively, he’s just been a pest out there.”
Season numbers and recent precedent
The 23-year-old guard was a second-round draft pick last year out of Florida, where he led the Gators to a national championship. This season, he is averaging 5.1 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists, while shooting 47.5% from the floor and 42.9% from three-point range.
Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray dealt with the same injury early last season. He underwent surgery and missed the first 15 games.