Requirements: Five seasons and 5,000 minutes; or fewer seasons and 7,000 minutes.
20. Tom Meschery
Power Forward, 1962-1967
The NBA's first beatnik, Meschery averaged 12.7 points and 8.6 rebounds over 10 seasons. He is the author of several books of poetry.
19. Antawn Jamison
Forward, 1999-2003
Jamison was acquired on draft day for the rights to Vince Carter. He averaged 24.9 points in his third season with the Warriors, but was ultimately sent to Dallas for a bunch of expiring contracts, and had his best seasons elsewhere.
18. Joe Barry Carroll
Center, 1981-1987
Carroll could score-- he had four 20+ ppg seasons in Golden State-- but he didn't do much else, and he came to the franchise in a disastrous trade for Robert Parish and the rights to Kevin McHale.
17. Latrell Sprewell
Shooting Guard, 1993-1998
Spree's tenure with the Warriors ended badly, to say the least, when he assaulted coach P.J. Carlesimo during a practice. He was a three-time All Star, and had his best seasons in Golden State.
16. Jason Richardson
Shooting Guard, 2002-2007
In a similar scenario to Antawn Jamison's, J-Rich was a high pick who scored a lot of points and earned a contract extension that the Warriors eventually had to find a taker for, in this case the Bobcats.
15. Sleepy Floyd
Point Guard, 1983-1987
Floyd scored 51 points on Magic Johnson in a playoff game. A month into the next season, he was shipped to Houston with Joe Barry Carroll for the shell of Ralph Sampson.
14. Jamaal Wilkes
Small Forward, 1975-1977
Wilkes won the 1975 ROY, and a championship ring. After three strong seasons, he left for the Lakers in free agency.
13. Purvis Short
Small Forward, 1979-1987
The one benefit to losing Jamaal Wilkes in free agency is that the Warriors were awarded a pick as compensation, and the pick became Purvis Short. Nicknamed "Rainbow Man" for his sky-scraping jump shot, Short averaged 28 ppg in 1985.
12. Baron Davis
Point Guard, 2005-2008
Davis played some of the most inspired ball of his career in a Warriors uniform, leading them to an upset of #1-seeded Dallas in the 2007 playoffs, and then averaging 21.8 points and 7.6 assists for the only 48-win team to ever miss the playoffs, in 2008.
11. Clifford Ray
Center, 1975-1981
Ray replaced Nate Thurmond as the Warriors' center, and they won a title in his first season there. Ray was an excellent defender who was offensively limited and knew it-- he never averaged more than 7 shot attempts a game, whereas Thurmond took far too many shots for a 42% shooting big man.
10. Phil Smith
Shooting Guard, 1975-1980
Smith averaged 20 ppg in 1976, and made two All-Star teams. He was traded to the Clippers for World B. Free after the 1980 season.
9. Tom Gola
Small Forward, 1956-1962
Gola played on the 1956 championship team, and peaked in 1960 with a 15.0/10.4/5.5. His nickname was "Mr. All-Around."
8. Tim Hardaway
Point Guard, 1990-1996
Hardaway posted two seasons with 20+ points and 10+ assists for the Run-TMC Warriors, then missed all of 1994 with an ACL tear. In yet another unfortunate trade, the Warriors bet against his comeback, and shipped him to Miami for Kevin Willis and Bimbo Coles.
7. Jeff Mullins
Shooting Guard, 1967-1976
Mullins had four 20+ ppg seasons, and hung around long enough to be a key reserve on the 1975 team. His nickname, apparently, was "Pork Chop."
6. Nate Thurmond
Center, 1964-1974
Thurmond made two All-Defense teams, and should have made more, except a) the award was invented midway through his career, and b) All-Defense teams are a little like baseball Gold Gloves. They sometimes go to the guy who won it last year, or the guy who's a bigger star.
5. Chris Mullin
Small Forward, 1986-1997, 2001
Mullin was the best modern-day Warrior, a sharpshooting small forward who averaged 25+ ppg for 4 straight seasons between 1989 and 1992.
4. Neil Johnston
Center, 1952-1959
Johnston was a converted minor-league pitcher who won 3 straight scoring titles from 1953-1955, and was one of the top players of the 1950s. Johnston shot an accurate (for the time) .444/.768. He wasn't a defensive stopper, but since he was the league's top offensive center, it didn't much matter.
3. Paul Arizin
Small Forward, 1951-1962
Arizin, known as "Pitchin' Paul," was an early practitioner of the jump shot. He spent the 1953 and 1954 seasons serving in the Marines, and struggled in 1955. When he got his groove back in 1956, he teamed up with Neil Johnston to lead the Warriors to their only NBA title in Philly. Johnston and Arizin averaged a combined 46 points and 20 rebounds that year.
2. Rick Barry
Small Forward, 1966-1967, 1973-1978
Barry jumped to the ABA in 1968, after winning the scoring title in 1967 with 35.6 ppg. He returned for the 1973 season, and was the best player on the 1975 championship team, averaging 30 ppg. Barry shot free throws underhanded at a career 89% clip.
1. Wilt Chamberlain
Center, 1960-1965
Chamberlain had his 100-point game as a Warrior, and averaged a 50-25 for the entire 1962 season. Wilt had his most statistically dominant seasons for the Warriors, though Bill Russell's Celtics frustrated his attempts to win a championship. Other than Russell, the league was simply not physically equipped to defend Wilt, and he made them pay.
Next up: The Boston Celtics.
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