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Although the Golden State Warriors finished as a .500 team just twice this decade, they still featured amazing players. The best year for them was 2007. Under head coach Don Nelson, they made the playoffs for the only time this decade and got to the Western Conference semifinals for the first time since 1991.

Here's a look at five players who made a difference during the decade:

Baron Davis, guard, 2004-08

Davis spent the first six seasons of his career with the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets. However, after some tension with the coaching staff, he was traded to the Warriors on Feb. 24, 2005.

There, he played some of the best basketball of his career.

During the four years he spent with the Warriors, he averaged 20 points, eight assists, and two steals. His best season was the 2007-08 campaign when he played all 82 games for just the fourth time of his career. He averaged 21 points, seven assists, and two steals that year, including a 40-point performance against the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 18. He also turned in a total of nine games with 10-plus assists and eight games with five-plus steals.

On Jul. 1, 2008, he agreed to join the Los Angeles Clippers after opting out of a $17.8 million contract.

Monta Ellis, guard, 2005-12

After a great career at Lanier High School, Ellis originally decided to attend Mississippi State University. However, he changed his mind and entered the 2005 NBA draft.

Once he got in, the Warriors selected him as the 10th pick in the second round.

Ellis had a slow beginning to his career as he averaged just six points in his rookie year. But he picked it up as he logged in 21 points a contest the remainder of the decade. While the Warriors were one of the best offensive teams at that time, Ellis was their go-to scorer as he averaged 20-plus points four out of the seven seasons he spent there. On Feb. 7, 2012, he scored a career-high 48 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

On Mar. 13, 2012, he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Jason Richardson, guard/forward, 2001-07

As soon as Richardson was drafted by the Warriors in 2001, his career took off.

In his first year, he averaged 14 points and four rebounds. But what stood out wasn’t the numbers; it was the fact he won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, followed by another win in 2003. In actuality, he made his career out of the ability to dunk, becoming one of the best dunkers of the decade.

While playing with the Warriors, though, he averaged 18 points and five rebounds. His best outing came on Mar. 10, 2006, when he scored a career-high 44 points against the Miami Heat.

On Jun. 28, 2007, he was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats.

Antawn Jamison, forward, 1998-03

Although he’s known for his time with the Washington Wizards, Jamison had a great five-year tenure with the Warriors. He was picked by the Toronto Raptors as the fourth overall pick in the 1998 draft but then had his rights traded to the Warriors for Vince Carter.

While playing with the Warriors, Jamison averaged 20 points and seven rebounds.

However, his finest time was the 2000-01 season. During that campaign, he averaged a career-high 24 points and eight rebounds. He also had back-to-back 50-point games. The first one was on Dec. 3 when he scored 51 points against the Seattle Supersonics. He also scored 51 points on Dec. 6 against the Los Angeles Lakers.

On Aug. 18, 2003, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks.

Andris Bledrins, center, 2004-13

When Bledrins was drafted by the Warriors as the 11th overall pick, it took some time before he earned himself a spot in the starting rotation. After averaging just three points and starting in just three games in his first two years, he officially became a starter.

Throughout the decade, he averaged eight points, eight rebounds, and one block. His best game during that time was arguably during the 2006-07 campaign. On Nov. 24, 2006, he logged in a career-high 31 points and 10 rebounds off the bench against the Denver Nuggets.

After strugging during the latter part of his tenure with the Warriors, he was traded to the Utah Jazz on Jul. 5, 2013.

Cory Nelson is a contributor to Fansided’s “Wiz of Awes”. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson and Instagram @ckenzynelson

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