Last Updated on July 29, 2026 by Mat Diekhake
League Search Page > NBA > Golden State Warriors > Roster & Statistics
The 1978–79 Golden State Warriors relied on Phil Smith and John Lucas to drive the offense, with Smith serving as the primary scorer and Lucas orchestrating the attack as one of the league’s most productive playmakers. Robert Parish anchored the interior with elite rebounding and shot-blocking, while Sonny Parker added balanced scoring and strong work on the glass. The Warriors paired a deliberate pace with one of the NBA’s better defensive performances, but their below-average scoring output limited their overall success.
Roster
| No. | Player | Pos | Height | Weight | DOB | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Lucas | PG | 6’3″ | 170 lbs | Oct 31, 1953 | Maryland |
| 20 | Phil Smith | SG | 6’4″ | 185 lbs | Apr 22, 1952 | San Francisco |
| 22 | Sonny Parker | SF | 6’6″ | 200 lbs | Mar 22, 1955 | Texas A&M |
| 00 | Robert Parish | C | 7’0″ | 230 lbs | Aug 30, 1953 | Centenary |
| 21 | Clifford Ray | C | 6’9″ | 230 lbs | Jan 21, 1949 | Oklahoma |
| 43 | Wayne Cooper | PF | 6’10” | 220 lbs | Nov 16, 1956 | New Orleans |
| 5 | Tom Abernethy | PF | 6’7″ | 220 lbs | May 6, 1954 | Indiana |
| 41 | Wesley Cox | PF | 6’6″ | 215 lbs | Jan 27, 1955 | Louisville |
| 11 | Raymond Townsend | PG | 6’3″ | 175 lbs | Dec 20, 1955 | UCLA |
| 25 | Tony Robertson | SG | 6’4″ | 200 lbs | Jan 1, 1956 | West Virginia |
| 32 | Ray Epps | SF | 6’6″ | 195 lbs | Aug 20, 1956 | Norfolk State |
| 10 | Jo Jo White | PG | 6’3″ | 190 lbs | Nov 16, 1946 | Kansas |
Head Coach: Al Attles
Regular Season Per Game
| Player | Pos | Age | G | GS | Min | Pts | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | FGA | FG% | 3PA | 3P% | FTA | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Smith | SG | 26 | 59 | 0 | 38.8 | 19.9 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 2.9 | 16.6 | .501 | 4.3 | .761 | 4.3 | .761 |
| John Lucas | PG | 25 | 82 | 82 | 37.7 | 16.1 | 3.0 | 9.3 | 1.9 | 0.1 | 3.1 | 14.0 | .462 | 3.9 | .822 | 3.9 | .822 |
| Sonny Parker | SF | 23 | 79 | 0 | 36.6 | 15.2 | 5.6 | 3.7 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 2.4 | 12.9 | .502 | 2 | .788 | 2.8 | .788 |
| Robert Parish | C | 25 | 76 | 0 | 31.7 | 17.2 | 12.1 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 14.6 | .499 | 1 | .698 | 3.7 | .698 |
| Jo Jo White | PG | 32 | 29 | 0 | 30.4 | 12.3 | 2.5 | 4.6 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 2.4 | 10.8 | .475 | 2.4 | .870 | 2.4 | .870 |
| Clifford Ray | C | 30 | 82 | 0 | 23.4 | 6.9 | 7.4 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.9 | 5.4 | .526 | 2.3 | .558 | 2.3 | .558 |
| Purvis Short | PF | 21 | 75 | 0 | 22.7 | 10.6 | 4.6 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 10.3 | .479 | 1.1 | .671 | 1.1 | .671 |
| Tom Abernethy | PF | 24 | 70 | 0 | 17.4 | 6.0 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 4.9 | .515 | 1.3 | .745 | 1.3 | .745 |
| Nate Williams | SG | 28 | 81 | 0 | 16.0 | 8.3 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 7.0 | .501 | 1.4 | .872 | 1.4 | .872 |
| Wayne Cooper | C | 22 | 65 | 0 | 12.2 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 4.5 | .437 | 0.9 | .672 | 0.9 | .672 |
| Raymond Townsend | SG | 23 | 65 | 0 | 11.9 | 4.7 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 4.4 | .439 | 1.0 | .735 | 1.0 | .735 |
| Wesley Cox | SF | 24 | 31 | 0 | 11.6 | 4.7 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 4.0 | .431 | 3.0 | .435 | 3.0 | .435 |
| Tony Robertson | SG | 23 | 12 | 0 | 6.2 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 3.3 | .375 | 0.8 | .667 | 0.8 | .667 |
| Ray Epps | SF | 22 | 13 | 0 | 5.5 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.8 | .435 | 0.6 | .750 | 0.6 | .750 |
| Team Totals | — | — | 82 | 82 | 241.2 | 105.1 | 44.9 | 25.2 | 9.4 | 5.1 | 18.3 | 90.9 | .487 | 22.8 | .730 | 22.8 | .730 |
Regular Season Totals
| Player | Pos | Age | G | GS | Min | Pts | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | FGA | FG | 3PA | 3P | FTA | FT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Lucas | PG | 25 | 82 | 82 | 3095 | 1324 | 247 | 762 | 152 | 9 | 255 | 1146 | 530 | 0 | 0 | 321 | 264 |
| Sonny Parker | SF | 23 | 79 | 0 | 2893 | 1199 | 444 | 291 | 144 | 33 | 193 | 1019 | 512 | 0 | 0 | 222 | 175 |
| Robert Parish | C | 25 | 76 | 0 | 2411 | 1304 | 916 | 115 | 100 | 217 | 233 | 1110 | 554 | 1 | 0 | 281 | 196 |
| Phil Smith | SG | 26 | 59 | 0 | 2288 | 1172 | 212 | 261 | 101 | 23 | 170 | 977 | 489 | 0 | 0 | 255 | 194 |
| Clifford Ray | C | 30 | 82 | 0 | 1917 | 568 | 608 | 136 | 47 | 50 | 153 | 439 | 231 | 2 | 0 | 190 | 106 |
| Purvis Short | PF | 21 | 75 | 0 | 1703 | 795 | 347 | 97 | 54 | 12 | 111 | 771 | 369 | 6 | 0 | 85 | 57 |
| Nate Williams | SG | 28 | 81 | 0 | 1299 | 670 | 207 | 61 | 55 | 5 | 93 | 567 | 284 | 0 | 0 | 117 | 102 |
| Tom Abernethy | PF | 24 | 70 | 0 | 1219 | 422 | 216 | 79 | 39 | 13 | 32 | 342 | 176 | 1 | 0 | 94 | 70 |
| Jo Jo White | PG | 32 | 29 | 0 | 883 | 358 | 72 | 133 | 26 | 3 | 70 | 314 | 149 | 0 | 1 | 69 | 60 |
| Wayne Cooper | C | 22 | 65 | 0 | 795 | 297 | 280 | 21 | 7 | 44 | 52 | 293 | 128 | 4 | 1 | 61 | 41 |
| Raymond Townsend | SG | 23 | 65 | 0 | 771 | 304 | 55 | 91 | 27 | 6 | 51 | 289 | 127 | 26 | 4 | 68 | 50 |
| Wesley Cox | SF | 24 | 31 | 0 | 360 | 146 | 63 | 11 | 13 | 5 | 44 | 123 | 53 | 9 | 2 | 92 | 40 |
| Tony Robertson | SG | 23 | 12 | 0 | 74 | 36 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 40 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 6 |
| Ray Epps | SF | 22 | 13 | 0 | 72 | 26 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 6 |
| Team Totals | — | — | 82 | 82 | 19780 | 8621 | 3682 | 2064 | 774 | 420 | 1467 | 7453 | 3627 | 121 | 27 | 1872 | 1367 |
HeatingUp Impact Index: Team Impact Spotlight
| Player Name | Role Tier | MPG | Usage Tier | PPG | RPG | APG | STK (SPG+BPG) | Impact Index* | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Smith | Primary Scorer | 38.8 | High | 19.9 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 2.1 | 15.0 | Efficient SG, strong two-way contributor, solid defensive activity for wing. |
| John Lucas | Floor General | 37.7 | High | 16.1 | 3.0 | 9.3 | 2.0 | 15.2 | Team’s main playmaker, high assist load, maintains defensive activity. |
| Sonny Parker | Two-Way Wing | 36.6 | Medium | 15.2 | 5.6 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 13.4 | Emerging versatile SF, contributes across board; strong rebounding for position. |
| Robert Parish | Anchor Big | 31.7 | Medium | 17.2 | 12.1 | 1.5 | 4.2 | 17.5 | Defensive and rebounding powerhouse, efficient scoring, high Impact Index. |
| Jo Jo White | Secondary PG | 30.4 | Medium | 12.3 | 2.5 | 4.6 | 1.0 | 10.2 | Veteran facilitator, capable scorer; reduced minutes may limit peak impact. |
| Clifford Ray | Rim Protector | 23.4 | Low | 6.9 | 7.4 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 8.6 | Provides solid interior defense and rebounding, minimal offensive usage. |
| Purvis Short | Supporting Scorer | 22.7 | Medium | 10.6 | 4.6 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 8.7 | Young PF showing scoring potential, moderate rebounding and defensive activity. |
| Tom Abernethy | Role PF | 17.4 | Low | 6.0 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 5.5 | Bench contributor, limited usage but efficient scoring on low volume. |
| Nate Williams | Spot SG | 16.0 | Low | 8.3 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 6.2 | Provides scoring punch off the bench; limited playmaking and defensive impact. |
| Wayne Cooper | Development Big | 12.2 | Low | 4.6 | 4.3 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 4.9 | Young C; mostly defensive/rebounding role, low offensive contribution. |
| Raymond Townsend | Backup SG | 11.9 | Low | 4.7 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 3.7 | Bench SG with spot minutes; modest scoring and limited defensive activity. |
| Wesley Cox | Fringe SF | 11.6 | Low | 4.7 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 3.9 | Bench SF, minimal impact; development potential if minutes increase. |
| Tony Robertson | Deep Bench SG | 6.2 | Low | 3.0 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 2.4 | Spot minutes; scoring limited, defensive activity notable for tiny sample. |
| Ray Epps | Fringe SF | 5.5 | Low | 2.0 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 1.4 | Minimal role; developmental minutes only. |