The defensive leader that the Warriors longed for has been born in the lineup.

Without Curry's restraint, the Warriors' offense is very dry and loses its smoothness; although Butler is leading the team, he is still a veteran after all and is no longer the version he was during the Heat. Currently, the Warriors are ranked eighth in the Western Conference with a record of 6 wins and 5 losses, completely lacking the strong posture they had at the beginning of last season. But we can also understand that this Warriors team is not complete. Curry, Melton, and Curry Jr. have not returned yet, Butler has not yet found the feeling of the game, and Coach Cole's employment is still in the debugging stage.

Although the lineup has been greatly upgraded, the Warriors' problems are still obvious. In addition to the third stable scoring point, they also lack an excellent leader on the defensive end. This role was once held by Klay in his prime. After his injury, Wiggins and Payton Jr. took turns taking charge. The Warriors have always lacked big men to protect the basket. The defensive efficiency can still be maintained well, but there is a leader. But now that Wiggins has left, Payton Jr. has declined greatly, and Kuminga and Moody still cannot restrain the fast guards. Therefore, there is a reason why the Warriors continue to be defeated by the Bucks and Pacers.

Without an outstanding defensive leader, Moody and Kuminga are not capable of squeezing and covering, so they are easily beaten by the defenders' strong three-pointers. Many fans hope that the management will pursue White of the Celtics or Jones of the Pelicans, so that the Warriors' defense will become airtight; but the problem is that even if the Warriors are interested in pursuing them, the other team may not be willing to let them go. From a salary point of view, the Warriors can definitely match it, and they also have draft picks, but why did the Celtics and Pelicans agree to the trade? This is the biggest problem.

What should the warrior do? Should we pin our hopes on Melton, who has a minimum salary? This is a player with a history of injuries. In fact, there is no rush. The Warriors management may also be aware of the seriousness of the problem, so they have already been digging internally.

Isn’t this? Richard, this year's second-round pick, has gotten a lot of playing time since the start of the season, and he has indeed seized the opportunity. In the last three games, he has played exactly what an excellent defender should be:

Against the Kings, he scored 30 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal, and 5 of 8 three-pointers; against the Nuggets, he scored 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 of 5 three-pointers; against the Pacers, he scored 15 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. What are the numbers like this season? He averaged 10.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game, shooting 59.6% from the field and 40.7% from three-point range. Although the game sample was not large enough, the young man played very smart and efficient, and his offensive and defensive choices were very mature. He did not look like a rookie at all.

It can be said that Richard is a panacea for offense and defense, perfectly fitting the Warriors' system. With Westbrook's face, Poole's shooting posture, and offensive determination, he is enough to become the Warriors' outside leader and replace Payton Jr.'s role. Perhaps, before Melton returns from injury, the Warriors coaching staff can trust him more; allocate more playing time to Payton Jr., and they will get more surprises. You can even let him play as a starter for a period of time and see the effect before deciding how to employ him.

Only by being true to one's words, resolute in deeds, and with clear rewards and punishments can all generals be motivated to fight. When a player performs beyond expectations, he should get more playing time, otherwise the growth of the new players will be hindered; the same is true for the veterans. If they do not perform well, they should play less, and there is nothing wrong with maintaining their health.

With Richard's growth, the Warriors will be able to enjoy his salary bonus. After all, his annual salary this season is only 1.27 million yuan.

As for Kuminga, why is he still unable to play the role of a defensive leader? His performance on both offense and defense is not as impressive as in the first few games of the season; then, there is not much time left for him, and he is likely to be sent away in the middle of the season.

Therefore, the Warriors’ goal in these two seasons is to win the championship. The third stable scoring point and the outside defender are both targets for trade reinforcements; it would be great if these two could be concentrated on one person.