The Warriors fast-paced style of play over the past 2 decades brought a new excitement to this position for the Warriors. Of the 5 names on this list, 4 of the players were catalysts of the franchises 7 playoff berths since 1987. Each has had their own unique impact on the organization, but none have presented themselves as the stand alone franchise player/captain like Stephen Curry has and will continue to do for the foreseeable future. Given his prominence and the fact that I had originally ranked Curry 5th on this list prior to his memorable run in the 2013 NBA Playoffs, here are the 4 other Point Guards that made a name for themselves during their tenure with the Warriors:
5. Eric “Sleepy” Floyd (1983-1987)
Floyd spent 4 seasons with the Warriors. He was one of few bright spots in between the Rick Barry and RunTMC/Chris Mullin era.
“Sleepy” will forever be remembered for his record 29 points in a quarter and 39 points in a half while finishing with 51 points total avoiding a sweep in Game 4 of the Semifinals against the Lakers aka “The Sleepy Floyd Game.” Floyd finished his tenure with the Warriors posting averages of 17.7 points per game, 3.3 rebounds per game, and 6.7 assists per game along with 1 All-Star appearance in 1987.
4. Baron Davis (2005-2008)
Baron Davis was acquired in a mid-season trade on February 24, 2005. He was dealt to the Warriors by the Charlotte Hornets for scraps in the name of veterans Speedy Claxton and Dale Davis in what was a salary dump by the New Orleans Hornets after the former All-Star suffered through several injury-plagued seasons.
Davis, a California native thrived with his new team and in 2007 lead the Warriors to their first playoff berth since 1994. His legacy in Warriors lore was cemented as the leader and conductor of the “We Believe” team by helping the 8th seeded Warriors upset the #1 seeded Mavs in the 1st Round while averaging 25 points per game in the series.
Davis also led the Warriors to a 48-34 record in 2008 while playing in all 82 games, a rarity for the PG.
Sadly, Davis left the Warriors to sign with the Clippers in the Summer of 2008. He finished his tenure with averages of 20.1 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game, and 8.1 assists per game, but numbers alone can’t speak of what he meant to the team in such a short span.
3. Guy Rodgers (1958-1966)
Rodgers was a member of the 1964 Warriors team that made it to the finals. He was a 3-time All-Star in 1963, 1964, and 1966. He finished his 8-year tenure with 12.8 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game, and 8.3 assists per game, while still holding the all-time Warriors assists record with 4,855.
2. Tim Hardaway (1990-1996)
The “T” in “Run TMC” defined an excited, yet brief era of fast-break style in Golden State.
Hardaway was a 3-time All-Star with the Warriors in 1991, 1992, and 1993. He was All-Rookie 1st Team in 1990, 2nd Team All-NBA in 1992, and 3rd Team All-NBA in 1993. The Warriors reached the Playoffs 3 seasons during his tenure (1991, 1992, and 1994) reaching the Conference Semifinals in 1991.
Hardaway finished his tenure 2nd in assists and was 2nd in 3PM before being passed by Curry this season. His Warriors totals were 19.8 points per game, 3.6 rebounds per game, and 9.3 assists per game. His per/game assist number ranks a full point ahead of Rodgers.
1. Stephen Curry (2010-Present)
As previously mentioned in this article, I had originally compiled this list prior to the 2013 NBA Playoffs and had Curry ranked 5th. Who would have predicted that within 12 games and 27 days a star would have been born. In those 12 games Curry averaged 23.4 points and 8.1 assists while shooting 39.6% from 3 on 8.8 attempts per game. Those averages include a 44-point performance in Game 1 of the 2nd Round against the Spurs, a game in which Curry made 6 of 14 3-point attempts and also a 31-point performance in Game 4 of Round 1 against the Nuggets in which Curry made 6 of 11 3’s.
Curry brings a different dimension to the PG position that most can’t understand how to fully appreciate (hence his 2013 All-Star snub.) He is universally recognized as the consensus best shooter in the league by now after breaking Ray Allen’s previous single-season 3-point record with 272 makes.
Steph finished 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting in 2010 and was a unanimous selection to the All-Rookie 1st Team posting avg.’s of 17.5 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game, 5.9 assists, and 1.9 steals per game.
Curry, snubbed from an All-Star nod had a superb season months after critics questioned the new 4-year $44 million contract he signed in November, 2012. Prior to the 2013 Playoffs Curry was ranked the 16th best player in the league by a number of ESPN/TrueHoop writers. After an injury free season Curry was ranked 3rd in Bill Simmons annual trade-value column behind only LeBron James and Kevin Durant. The Warriors franchise PG also posted career best’s in minutes (38.1), points (22.9), and assists (6.9) while breaking the single season 3-point mark with 272 and scoring a career-high 54-points in Madison Squared Garden against the Knicks on February ,2013 in what was perhaps the single best performance by any player of the season.
Injuries aside, there is no telling how bright the future will shine for the budding 25-year old superstar.
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