9 Ex-Golden State Warriors the Organization Should Bring Back

The Warriors have a history stretching back 70 years, to the city of Philadelphia. From there the team moved west, first settling in San Francisco, but ultimately landing in Oakland as the Golden State Warriors.

Along the way there was a Basketball Association of America championship in 1947, a 100 point game in 1962, and an NBA championship in 1975. And all the while there were great basketball players.

Lately however, the Warriors have fallen on tough times. With no point guard, no inside presence, and no real defense to speak of, they have missed the playoffs in each of the last four seasons.

It's a shame to see one the League's oldest franchises struggle the way the Warriors do. If fans had their way, surely they would bring back a few of the great Warriors from past seasons, like recent Hall of Fame inductee Chris Mullin.

Here are 10 choices...

Robert Parish

Considering the Warriors plan to start a 6'10" center who only averaged three rebounds in 58 games last season, let's continue the list, assuming the Warriors need an inside defensive presence.

Rewind to the 1976 NBA Draft where the Warriors selected, with the eighth pick, Robert Parish from Centenary College.

Parish quickly developed into a low post force and by his third season was averaging over 17 points per game to go along with 12 rebounds and two blocked shots.

In 1980 Parish was traded to the Celtics for, what turned out to be, Joe Barry Carroll, a seven foot center, who could score better than Parish but did not rebound nearly as well as him.

Nate Thurmond

Of all the great pivot men to play for the Warriors, Nate Thurmond may be remembered as the best of all of them on the defensive side of the court.

As a player Thurmond had incredible strength and long arms, which served him well when it came to shot blocking and rebounding.

Thurmond played 10 seasons with the Warriors and on more then one occasion averaged more rebounds then he did points, like in 1967 when he averaged 22 rebounds and 20 points.

It's no surprise that Thurmond was named All Defense five times in his career. His was a winner too. Though he never won an NBA championship he did help lead the Warriors to two Finals appearances.

Rick Barry

Where Nate Thurmond failed, Rick Barry succeeded, bringing the first, and thus far only, NBA championship to the Golden State Warriors in 1975.

That season Barry averaged 27 points, five rebounds and five assists per game, and shot 90 percent from the free throw line.

In eight seasons with the Warriors Barry averaged just under 25 points per game. But not only could he score, Barry moved the ball and rebounded , even defended.

But more importantly, he could win, which is the one the thing this years Warriors team needs to learn how to do above all else.

Chris Mullin

If Chris Mullin isn't the greatest Warrior of the California era then he at least get's the fan favorite award.

The Hall of Famer could do it all, score, defend, move the ball, and shoot the lights out.

Mullin shot the ball at an impressive clip as well, connecting on over 50 percent of his filed goals in seven consecutive seasons for Golden State.

Shooting like that would help the Warriors, who attempted more field goals per game then any other team last season.

Tim Hardaway

The T to Mullin's C, in Run TMC, Tim Hardaway is just whats the hoops doctor ordered for the Golden State Warriors, an elite point guard who can defend.

In six seasons with Golden State, Hardaway was putting up the kind of numbers that earned Derrick Rose an MVP award last season.

 Like in 1992 when Hardaway finished the year scoring 24 points, dishing 10 assists, and grabbing almost four rebounds, per game for a playoff team.

It would be worth trading Monta Ellis for a player like that.

World B. Free

In the early 80's World B. Free spent four seasons with the Golden State Warriors where he was essentially Monta Ellis before Monta Ellis.

Free was a shooting guard trapped in a point guards body with a wizardly way of scoring and a superman like vertical leap.

As a player, Free wouldn't add much that the Warriors don't already have. But what a name.

Bernard King

World B. Free's Warriors teammate Bernard King was an All Star for Golden State in 1981 and in his second, and final year in gold and blue, King was named second team All NBA.

It's no secret that Bernard King could score the basketball. Though he couldn't rebound as well as David Lee, King was a big body, who moved well and scored in a variety of ways. 

If he were back on the court he would provide the Warriors with a low post scoring threat, one that demands double teams.

Cazzie Russell

Cazzie Russell, a 6'5" swing man from the University of Michigan played for the Golden State Warriors from 1971 to 1975, providing the spark off the bench that the Warriors need going into the season, whenever that will be.

Russell averaged 19 points a game for the Warriors and just over four rebounds.                

Latrell Sprewell

Though things ended badly for Sprewell in Golden State, the Warriors could use him back in the line up now.

Forget the numbers he put up when playing for Golden State, forget the vertical leap, forget the aggressiveness on defense.

What Sprewell could offer the Warriors is a player who attacks the rim with purpose every possession.

Right now the Warriors play, on the perimeter, two undersized guards and a spot up jump shooter. As a result, they have strings of possessions that end in contested jump shots.

Though Ellis is a great athlete who goes to the rim often, he settles for hard jumpers as many times as he gets to the tin.

Sprewell would provide that energetic play, that dunk, that can spark a team into victory.