Golden State Warriors: Ranking the 30 best Warriors ever
By Tony Pesta
14. Purvis Short
Stats: 614 GP, 19.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.8 APG, 47.9 FG%
Purvis Short may be one of the most underrated players in league history.
Despite being drafted fifth overall in the 1974 NBA Draft, Short didn’t start in a game until his third season. While coming off the bench, Short averaged 14.4 points per game on 48 percent shooting from the floor. After a few seasons, he was showing serious skill on the offensive end.
In the 1981-82 season, Short switched positions from power forward to small forward and his numbers skyrocketed. For a four-year stretch, Short scored 24.5 points and grabbed 5.3 rebounds per game. In 1984, Short averaged 28.0 points a game. This single-season mark is still the ninth most points per game in Warriors history.
Somehow, Short was never awarded anything for his accomplishments. Despite four seasons of averaging 21+ points, he never earned a single All-NBA selection. Short never even appeared in an All-Star game. However, he did win one Player of the Week award in January of 1984.
Still, Short is easily one of the best scorers to ever play for the Warriors. He finished his career in the franchise’s top-10 for games played, minutes played, field goals made and total points.