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Ranking all of Steph’s teammates: #20 — Leandro Barbosa

The Brazilian Blur!

Golden State Warriors v Boston Celtics Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

During his time with the Golden State Warriors, Steph Curry has had 106 teammates who have appeared in at least one game. Some played in exactly one game, while others played in hundreds. Some never actually played in a game that Curry was active for, while others formed historically great partnerships with him.

And I’m ranking all 106 of them before a new season starts and he adds to the tally. Better get a move on.

Players are ranked — and stats are shown — based only on their time as Curry’s teammate. How good/bad they were in other organizations doesn’t matter. How good/bad they were on pre-2009-10 Warriors teams doesn’t matter.


#20 — Leandro Barbosa

Golden State Warriors v Boston Celtics Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Games: 134 (20th out of 106)
Points per game: 6.7 (43rd out of 106)
Rebounds per game: 1.6 (T-81st out of 106)
Assists per game: 1.4 (T-46th out of 106)

For as long as I live, one of my favorite Warriors memories will be Leandro Barbosa and Shaun Livingston sitting in the champagne-soaked locker room in the aftermath of Game 6 of the 2015 NBA Finals. Barbosa looks like he can’t comprehend what happened, and Livingston tells the camera that you play your whole career working for this, and for most players it never happens.

It was so pure, and represented what these players meant to the championship, and what the championship meant to them.

Barbosa had played with the stellar Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire Phoenix Suns teams, and still never even made the NBA Finals, let alone won them.

He earned his Warriors ring. And hopefully he’ll earn another, since he’s now a player mentor coach for the organization.

Statistically, Barbosa wasn’t a particularly good player with the Warriors. He was at the end of his career, and scored with only average efficiency while having a somewhat limited game. That’s why he’s not higher on this list, despite being a player that everyone absolutely adores from the dynasty.

But he was a difference maker, a catalyst, and a leader.

And a champion.

With fewer than 30 players left, I’m going to start listing the remaining names in alphabetic order, to help out with determining whether someone is properly ranked. Here they are:

Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut, DeMarcus Cousins, Kevin Durant, Monta Ellis, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Damion Lee, David Lee, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, Corey Maggette, JaVale McGee, Zaza Pachulia, D’Angelo Russell, Klay Thompson, David West, Andrew Wiggins, Dorell Wright

Poll

What do you think of Leandro Barbosa’s ranking?

This poll is closed

  • 38%
    He was better than #20
    (71 votes)
  • 50%
    #20 is about right
    (92 votes)
  • 10%
    He was worse than #20
    (20 votes)
183 votes total Vote Now

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