Warriors’ Will Richard Learned the Hard Way About the NBA’s Rookie Wall. His Year 2 Plan Starts Now.

LAS VEGAS — Will Richard didn’t believe in the rookie wall. At least not until it hit him square in the face.

“I kept hearing the term and I thought I wasn’t going to hit it,” the Golden State Warriors guard said. “I thought I’d be fine. But I definitely hit it.”

Richard’s rookie year started hot. The second-round pick out of Florida carved a spot in Steve Kerr’s rotation, leaning on his length, hustle and that Swiss Army knife versatility that makes coaches trust a young player in big spots. He started games. He earned minutes. It looked like the exact kind of rookie campaign that builds a career.

Then January hit.

Eighteen straight months of college seasons, pre-draft workouts that stretched into Summer League, then training camp, then the regular season — it all caught up. Richard played 69 games, averaging 6.4 points and 2.5 rebounds. Solid numbers. But the back half of the schedule didn’t look like the front half. The wall was real.

“What I learned is that recovery and nutrition — everything matters so much more in the NBA because the season is so much longer,” Richard said. “The vets told me they still feel that wall feeling around that time of year. It’s something you gotta get adjusted to.”

So this summer, Richard is doing something about it. Not just with more work — he’s already done plenty of that — but with smarter work. The Warriors coaching staff has noticed.

“He’s locked in on the points of emphasis we talked about after the season,” assistant coach Khalid Robinson said. “I’ve liked his approach. He’s been mindful about his professionalism, his leadership.”

Richard is focused on three things: becoming a better point-of-attack defender, sharpening the split-second decision-making Golden State’s system demands, and building the kind of body that doesn’t fade in February.

But he’s also learning that the grind needs balance.

“I’ve started taking golf lessons. Been doing hot yoga,” Richard said. “Things to get my mind away from basketball that still benefit me.”

He hasn’t joined Stephen Curry on the course yet — wants to get a little practice in first — but the idea is the same. Find something that clears your head and still makes you better.

Underneath all of it is the thing that’s driven Richard since high school: he hates losing. He got to Belmont on that mindset. Got to Florida because Todd Golden saw it. Got drafted 54th overall because the Warriors scouting department saw a winner.

“This season didn’t go the way we wanted,” Richard said. “I want to make the playoffs. I want to be an important piece of that.”

Through three Summer League games, he’s averaging 10.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals while shooting 50 percent from three. Good start. Next season, when the wall shows up again, Richard plans to run straight through it.