The sixth man on an NBA team has a crucial role. They come in off the bench and provide some energy, usually in the form of scoring, and they hopefully provide a smooth transition between the starters and the reserves.
In Golden State Warriors history, there haven’t been many pure sixth men. Some players have started off as key bench players and then later become starters. There are also some players who aren’t necessarily the first person off the bench to go into the game, but they were typically the most important player off the bench.
Here are some the great sixth men or other key contributors off the bench during the many eras of Warriors basketball:
Joe Ellis, a guard/forward, played eight seasons in the NBA from 1966-1974, all with the Warriors. Ellis started off as a sixth man for the Warriors and eventually became a starter. Ellis had his best years from 1968-1971. In the 1969-1970 season, Ellis played in 76 games and averaged an impressive 15.8 points and 7.8 rebounds in 31.3 minutes per game.
Derrek Dickey and Phil Smith were two of the key players off the bench during the Warriors’ 1974-1975 championship season. Dickey, a power forward, averaged 7.7 points and 6.9 rebounds in 23.2 minutes per game during that season. Smith, a shooting guard, averaged 7.7 points and shot 47.6 percent from the field in just 14.3 minutes per game.
Charles Dudley, aka the “Hopper” or the “Grasshopper,” played for the Warriors from 1974-1978. Dudley, a point guard, had his best years between 1975-1977. In the 1976-1977 season, he played in 79 games and averaged 7.2 points, 4.4 assists, and 3.7 rebounds on 52.3 percent shooting in 21.3 minutes per game.
Larry Smith, aka “Mr. Mean,” played for the Warriors for nine seasons from 1980-1989. The power forward started off as a key contributor off the bench for the Warriors and later became a starter. During the 1981-1982 season, Smith played in 74 games, started in 55 of them, and averaged 7.1 points on 53.4 percent shooting and an impressive 11 rebounds per game.
Manute Bol played with the Warriors for three seasons over two stints. The 7″7″ center was very popular with Warriors fans. In his first season with the Warriors, he started attempting three-pointers for the first time, which thrilled the crowd. Bol was a pretty good defender and rebounder as he averaged 5.8 rebounds per game in his best season with the Warriors during the 1988-1989 season.
During the Run TMC era, Rod Higgins was one of the key players off the bench for the Warriors. The forward played in all 82 games in both the 1989-1990 season and the 1990-1991 season. Over those two seasons, Higgins averaged 10.3 points and 4.7 rebounds off the bench in 24.5 minutes per game. He also shot 47.3 percent from the field, 33.9 percent from three, and 82 percent from the free-throw line.
During the We Believe era, the Warriors used a couple different players as a “sixth man,” such as Matt Barnes and Mickael Pietrus. Barnes, a forward, brought an immense amount of energy and passion off the bench. He started 23 of 76 games he played in, and he averaged 9.8 points and 4.6 rebounds in 23.9 points per game. Pietrus was a fan favorite and was given the nickname “Air France.” The guard/forward started 38 of 72 games he played in, and he averaged 11.1 points and 4.5 rebounds in 26.9 minutes per game.
Jarrett Jack, although he only played one season for the Warriors, was a significant contributor to last season’s “We Belong” team. Jack was truly the backup point guard and sixth man for the Warriors, and he often finished games. He played in 79 games last season and only started four games. He averaged 12.9 points and 5.6 assists on 45.2 percent shooting from the field, 40.4 percent shooting from three, and 84.3 percent free-throw shooting. Jack also finished third in the Sixth Man of the Year voting last season.
Who do you think was the best sixth man in Warriors history?
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