5. Phil Smith
The Warriors stole Smith in the second round of the 1974 draft with the 29th selection. Little did they know, he would go on to be a pioneer of the Warriors Championship in 1975. He appeared in 73 games during his rookie season and helped play a role in the Finals.
Smith did not have the craziest of career stats; a modest 15.1 points, 3 rebounds and 3.9 assists, but he was able to defend with the best of them. Avoiding a sophomore slump, Smith did the opposite. In his second season, he played all 82 games and averaged 20 points per game. He used his 6’4 height to keep up with smaller guards with the use of his length. He was an All-Star in his second season and made it to the All-NBA Second Team and Defensive Second Team. He gave the Warriors versatility by playing shooting guard and by being able to slow down opposing two-guards despite their height advantage.
Being born in San Francisco, it meant a lot for Smith to bring a Championship to the Bay Area. He played nine seasons in the NBA, with his first several being in a Warriors uniform. There were questions of whether or not he was a true point guard or shooting guard, however it is safe to say he was an elite combo guard.
all good guards, but we need better backup guards for 2015. Why not steal Langston Galloway or sign Delonte West?