Rick Barry holds the top spot as the Warriors single-season SPG leader.
The Warriors currently have two of the better defenders in the NBA in Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler on their roster. They have a rich history of having strong defenders playing for the team. Let’s dive into their record books and highlight their top five leaders in steals per game for a single season.
Rick Barry, 1975, 2.9 SPG
The then San Francisco Warriors selected Barry with the fourth pick in the 1965 Draft. Steals did not become an official stat in the NBA until the 1973-74 season. In just the second season with the stat, Barry led the league with 2.9 steals per game. He also averaged 30.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.2 assists, leaving him to make the All-Star team, be named All-NBA First Team and finish fourth in MVP voting. The Warriors won the Finals that season with Barry being named Finals MVP.
Tim Hardaway, 1991, 2.6 SPG
The Warriors selected Hardaway with the 14th pick in the 1989 Draft. In his rookie season, he averaged 2.1 steals over 34 minutes per game. In 1990-91, he saw his playing time increase to 39 minutes per game. He averaged 2.6 steals, which would end up being the highest mark of his career. Hardaway played a total of 422 games with the Warriors franchise, averaging 19.8 points, 9.3 assists and 1.9 steals. He also made three All-Star teams with the Warriors.
Rick Barry, 1976, 2.5 SPG
While Barry didn’t lead the league in steals in 1975-76, he came in fourth with his average of 2.5 steals. It was part of another great all-around campaign that also saw him average 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists. He made the All-Star team, was named All-NBA First Team and finished fourth in MVP voting again. Barry would go on to play a total of 642 regular season games with the Warriors, averaging 25.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.3 steals along the way.
Mookie Blaylock, 2001, 2.4 SPG
Blaylock played for the Nets and Hawks before spending the finals three seasons of his career with the Warriors. He was known for his defensive chops, which included him leading the league in steals per game two times while a member of the Hawks. The 2000-01 season was his second with the Warriors and he showed no signs of slowing down, averaging 2.4 steals. Blaylock played a total of 177 career regular season games with the Warriors, averaging 9.6 points, 6.0 assists and 1.9 steals.
Baron Davis, 2008, 2.3 SPG
Davis began his career with the Hornets. He was then traded to the Warriors during the 2004-05 season. In 2006-07, he led the NBA by averaging 2.1 steals per game. He came in third place the following season despite averaging 2.3 steals. Across 227 regular season games with the Warriors, Davis averaged 20.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 8.1 assists and 2.0 steals. Over 11 playoff games, he averaged 25.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 2.9 steals.
