Top 25 Golden State Warriors in franchise history

20.  Purvis Short

With the fifth pick in the 1978 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors picked Purvis Short. The next pick? The Boston Celtics selected a guy from Indiana State named Larry Bird.

In hindsight, Bird was obviously the better choice. And, while Short never lived up to being drafted in front of him (who could?), his tenure with the Warriors was impressive. He played nine seasons with the team, suiting up for them from 1978-1986. He was solid throughout his time with the team, but he really turned it on in his last few years.

The 6’7 forward really turned it up after the 1981-82 season. He would average over 20 points in each of the next three years. His best season came during the 1984-85 season. He averaged 28 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists on 46 percent shooting.

That year, he finished fifth in scoring in the league, situated right in between Michael Jordan and Alex English. Bernard King was actually the scoring champ that year, averaging an incredible 32.9 points per game in New York.

Short had an especially noteworthy three year stretch, but he was solid throughout his entire Golden State career. What helped earn him a spot on this list was his longevity. He spent nine years with the team and is ninth all-time in minutes in franchise history. He’s also seventh in total points.

He stuck with the team for nearly a decade and became one of the most prolific scorers in franchise history.