5 most underappreciated Golden State Warriors players over the last decade

#3 Harrison Barnes

Harrison Barnes with the Golden State Warriors

Harrison Barnes is often overlooked in conversations about the Golden State Warriors. People usually focused on the "best shooting backcourt" of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.

However, Barnes was a major piece of their 2015 and 2016 campaigns. He was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 2012 and played small forward for the team until Kevin Durant arrived.

Harrison Barnes with another BIG 3-pointer to give the @Warriors their largest lead of the game (9). #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/unYA4lJF44

— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2016

Barnes started 246 out of 307 games for the Golden State Warriors, averaging 10.1 points and 4.6 rebounds on 37% shooting from beyond the arc.

Barnes was young when he was with the Warriors and showed bursts of energy whenever he was on the court.

#4 David Lee

David Lee of the Golden State Warriors

David Lee was traded by the Golden State Warriors right after they won the championship in 2015. He injured himself and was replaced in the starting lineup by Draymond Green, who continued to start even when Lee returned. In hindsight, starting Green was one of the best moves made by Steve Kerr.

Lee was a two-time All-Star with the Warriors in 2010 and 2013. He averaged nearly 19 points and 11 rebounds per game for the team and registered many consecutive 20-point games.

Curry's breakout campaign in 2013 and the 6th-seeded upset of the Denver Nuggets in that year's first round of the playoffs would never have happened if not for Lee's exploits in the regular season.

#5 Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson with the Golden State Warriors

The inclusion of Klay Thompson on this list may be surprising as he isn't at the same level as the rest of the featured players.

Thompson, although a five-time All-Star, is often overlooked in discussions about the best players in the league. He is constantly playing under Stephen Curry's shadow and is referred to as his sidekick. His name is hardly even brought up when someone discusses the top guards of the NBA.

“Do I think there are that many guards better than me? No.” — Warriors guard @KlayThompson talked with reporters about his All-NBA snub, which will cost him about $30 million. https://t.co/LmxGqs1B34

— Twitter Moments (@TwitterMoments) May 23, 2019

Klay Thompson can explode for 50 points with ease and holds numerous shooting records. However, he has still been snubbed off all three All-NBA teams on multiple occasions. His most recent snub cost him $30 million in contract value as the Golden State Warriors were obligated not to offer him a supermax.

ESPN commentator Michael Wilbon has even publicly admitted that he regrets not voting for Thompson in the All-NBA.

Moreover, Klay Thompson was placed below then-rookie Zion Williamson in the Top 100 NBA players ranking in 2019.

Famous NBA analyst Skip Bayless said "it doesn't make sense" that one of the best two-way guards ever would be ranked below a rookie.

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