Golden State Warriors: Top 5 Small Forwards in Team History

By Dan Schultz

Golden State Warriors: Top 5 Small Forwards in Team History

Rick Barry Chris Mullin NBA Golden State Warriors
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For the first time in a long time, the Golden State Warriors are a relevant team in the Western Conference. After a rocky run in the 90s and early 00s, the Warriors have found their stride thanks to a star back court of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Warriors teams of the past were made up of some incredible small forwards, including some notable Hall-of-Famers. Here are the top-five small forwards in the history of the Warriors.

5. Jamaal Wilkes (1974-1977)

Jamaal Wilkes NBA Golden State Warriors
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5. Jamaal Wilkes (1974-1977)

Jamaal Wilkes NBA Golden State Warriors
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Wilkes was a combo player who could play both forward positions, and did a phenomenal job in his three seasons with the Warriors. In terms of overall career, he was better known for his days with the Lakers, where his career really took off and he became a legitimate star for them for the teams in the 80s, but his first years in the league were a sign of things to come.

4. Purvis Short (1978-1987)

Purvis Short NBA Golden State Warriors
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4. Purvis Short (1978-1987)

Purvis Short NBA Golden State Warriors
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There was nothing small about Short's game. He was a fantastic scorer and a do-all player who could score 20 points, grab five boards and dish out a few assists every game. In four seasons, he averaged 20 PPG or better. During his career, Short played the shooting guard, small forward and power forward positions, proving to be a very versatile player who could shoot and defend from any area of the court.

3. Paul Arizin (1950-1962)

Paul Arizin NBA Golden State Warriors
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3. Paul Arizin (1950-1962)

Paul Arizin NBA Golden State Warriors
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While not the most efficient shooter from the field, Arizin still put up monstrous numbers during his career when the Warriors were located in Philadelphia. At only 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, Arizin was certainly undersized for his position, but still proved to be a lethal scorer nonetheless. He was an important building block in the history of the team and proof that, even if you're small at your position, you could still be successful.

2. Chris Mullin (1985-1997, 2000-2001)

Chris Mullin NBA Golden State Warriors
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2. Chris Mullin (1985-1997, 2000-2001)

Chris Mullin NBA Golden State Warriors
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The Hall-of-Famer battled some personal demons early on in his career before eventually rallying and putting together a very admirable run. From 1988-1993, he averaged at least 25 PPG a season. For his career, he averaged a 51-percent clip from the field and a 38-percent mark from outside. Not only that, he was a leader his teammates looked up to and respected. He is a basketball legend.

1. Rick Barry (1965-1967, 1972-1978)

Rick Barry Golden State Warriors NBA
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1. Rick Barry (1965-1967, 1972-1978)

Rick Barry Golden State Warriors NBA
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You might know the Barry name after watching both of his sons, Jon and Brent, play in the NBA recently, but their dad Rick was a star in the league long ago. In four seasons, Barry averaged at least 30 PPG or better, including 1966-1967 season, where he averaged 35.6 PPG on 45 percent shooting from the field. He was also an NBA champion in 1975, an eight-time All-Star and an NBA Hall-of-Famer. I guess you could say he had a pretty good career.

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