Big-Man Debacle

Sporting News, The, Jan 25, 1999 by David Steele

Would you believe the Warriors have three centers in the Basketball Hall of Fame? Neil Johnstone, Wilt Chamberlain and Nate Thurmond are enshrined in Springfield, Mass. But since the Warriors traded Thurmond to the Bulls on November 27, 1975, they have employed 19 centers without much success. Here's a list of all the big men who played with the Warriors in the past 23 years.

Player              Years                  Grade

Clifford Ray        1974-1981              B
Robert Parish       1976-1980              B-
Joe Barry Carroll   1980-1984, 1985-1987   C-
Jerome Whitehead    1984-85                D
Ralph Sampson       1987-1989              F
Manute Bol          1988-90, 1994-95       D
Alton Lister        1990-93                D-
Jim Petersen        1991-92                D
Tyrone Hill         1991-1993              B-
Tom Tolbert         1990-1992              F
Victor Alexander    1991-1995              F
Chris Gatling       1991-1996              C
Chris Webber        1993-1994              B
Rony Seikaly        1994-1996              D
Clifford Rozier     1994-1996              F
Kevin Willis        1995-1996              C-
Todd Fuller         1996-present           F
Felton Spencer      1996-present           D
Erick Dampier       1997-present           B-

Player              Remarks

Clifford Ray        A good rebounder who helped the Warriors win
                     the NBA title in 1975.
Robert Parish       Had some good years, but his questionable work
                     habits got him traded to Boston.
Joe Barry Carroll   Was his own man and the Warriors paid dearly in
                     the loss column.
Jerome Whitehead    Played the middle when Carroll went to Italy for
                     a season, but the Warriors went 22-60.
Ralph Sampson       His knees were shot by the time he played for
                     the Warriors.
Manute Bol          He could block shots but nothing else.
Alton Lister        He spent most of his time on the injured list.
Jim Petersen        Didn't get much playing time because Don Nelson
                     was playing small ball with Run-TMC.
Tyrone Hill         Played out of position for Golden State but
                     blossomed as a power forward for Cleveland.
Tom Tolbert         A journeyman forward who was overmatched in
                     the middle.
Victor Alexander    For a big man, he loved taking jump shots.
Chris Gatling       Another forward at the wrong spot, but he became
                     an All-Star with the Mavericks.
Chris Webber        Won Rookie of the Year honors but was traded the
                     next season because of problems with Nelson.
Rony Seikaly        The Warriors thought they had a true center, but
                     he missed a lot of time because of injuries.
Clifford Rozier     A person with a bad attitude. To make matters
                     worse, he could do nothing but grab rebounds.
Kevin Willis        Another power forward who looked lost in the
                     middle.
Todd Fuller         Highly recommended by former G.M. Dave Twardzik,
                     but Fuller is no more than a 12th man.
Felton Spencer      Is the all-time NBA nice guy but often plays
                     like one.
Erick Dampier       Finally received playing time and looked like an
                     All-Star during second half of '97-98 season.