# 1980–81 Golden State Warriors season

The 1980–81 NBA season was the Warriors 35th season in the NBA and their 18th season in the San Francisco Bay Area.

## NBA draft

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
| 1 | 1 | Joe Barry Carroll | C | United States | Purdue |
| 1 | 13 | Rickey Brown | | United States | Mississippi State |
| 2 | 24 | Larry Smith | PF/C | United States | Alcorn State |
| 2 | 25 | Jeff Ruland | C | United States | Iona |
| 3 | 49 | John Virgil | | United States | North Carolina |
| 4 | 71 | Robert Scott | | United States | Alabama |
| 5 | 95 | Don Carlino | | United States | Southern California |
| 6 | 117 | Neil Bresnahan | | United States | Illinois |
| 7 | 141 | Lorenzo Romar | PG | United States | Washington |
| 8 | 162 | Kurt Kanaskie | | United States | La Salle |
| 9 | 182 | Billy Reid | | United States | San Francisco |
| 10 | 200 | Tim Higgins | | United States | Nebraska-Kearney |

## Regular season

The Warriors got off to a 12–6 start thanks to their talented cast of rookies and veterans. Late in the season, they were still in a playoff hunt with a 36–34 record before losing 7 of the next 9 games as the Houston Rockets and the Kansas City Kings got red hot and passed the Warriors. Golden State still had a chance to qualify for the playoffs on the last day of the season, but a 96–92 loss in Seattle combined with the Kings' 113–104 win vs. Dallas left the Warriors as the odd team out.
| Pacific Divisionvte | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div |
| y-Phoenix Suns | 57 | 25 | .695 | – | 36–5 | 21–20 | 22–8 |
| x-Los Angeles Lakers | 54 | 28 | .659 | 3.0 | 30–11 | 24–17 | 19–11 |
| x-Portland Trail Blazers | 45 | 37 | .549 | 12.0 | 30–11 | 15–26 | 18–12 |
| Golden State Warriors | 39 | 43 | .476 | 18.0 | 26–15 | 13–28 | 10–20 |
| San Diego Clippers | 36 | 46 | .439 | 21.0 | 22–19 | 14–27 | 14–16 |
| Seattle SuperSonics | 34 | 48 | .415 | 23.0 | 22–19 | 12–29 | 7–23 |
| # | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte | Western Conferencevte |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
| 1 | c-Phoenix Suns | 57 | 25 | .695 | – |
| 2 | y-San Antonio Spurs | 52 | 30 | .634 | 5 |
| 3 | x-Los Angeles Lakers | 54 | 28 | .659 | 3 |
| 4 | x-Portland Trail Blazers | 45 | 37 | .549 | 12 |
| 5 | x-Kansas City Kings | 40 | 42 | .488 | 17 |
| 6 | x-Houston Rockets | 40 | 42 | .488 | 17 |
| 7 | Golden State Warriors | 39 | 43 | .476 | 18 |
| 8 | Denver Nuggets | 37 | 45 | .451 | 20 |
| 9 | San Diego Clippers | 36 | 46 | .439 | 21 |
| 10 | Seattle SuperSonics | 34 | 48 | .415 | 23 |
| 11 | Utah Jazz | 28 | 54 | .341 | 29 |
| 12 | Dallas Mavericks | 15 | 67 | .183 | 42 |
Notes
* z, y – division champions
* x – clinched playoff spot

### Record vs. opponents

1980-81 NBA Records :
| Team | ATL | BOS | CHI | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GSW | HOU | IND | KCK | LAL | MIL | NJN | NYK | PHI | PHO | POR | SAS | SDC | SEA | UTA | WAS |
| Atlanta | – | 2–4 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–4 |
| Boston | 4–2 | – | 5–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 6–0 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 5–1 |
| Chicago | 4–2 | 1–5 | – | 5–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 5–1 |
| Cleveland | 5–1 | 1–4 | 1–5 | – | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–6 | 3–3 | 0–5 | 0–6 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 4–2 |
| Dallas | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | – | 3–3 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 0–6 | 0–2 | 0–6 | 0–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 1–4 | 1–5 | 0–2 |
| Denver | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | – | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 0–2 |
| Detroit | 2–4 | 1–4 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | – | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 1–5 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–5 |
| Golden State | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | – | 3–2 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 1–4 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 4–1 | 1–1 |
| Houston | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 2–3 | – | 1–1 | 2–4 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 1–4 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 0–2 |
| Indiana | 5–1 | 3–3 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | – | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 5–1 | 3–2 | 0–6 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 4–2 |
| Kansas City | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 0–5 | 4–2 | 0–2 | – | 0–5 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 5–1 | 1–1 |
| Los Angeles | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 5–0 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 5–0 | – | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 6–0 | 3–2 | 1–1 |
| Milwaukee | 5–1 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 6–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | – | 5–1 | 3–3 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–1 |
| New Jersey | 2–3 | 0–6 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–5 | – | 0–6 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 |
| New York | 4–2 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 5–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 6–0 | – | 3–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–2 |
| Philadelphia | 5–1 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 6–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 5–1 | 3–3 | – | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–2 |
| Phoenix | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | – | 3–3 | 3–2 | 6–0 | 5–1 | 5–0 | 1–1 |
| Portland | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | – | 2–3 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 |
| San Antonio | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 3–2 | – | 4–1 | 3–2 | 5–1 | 1–1 |
| San Diego | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–6 | 2–4 | 1–4 | – | 5–1 | 3–2 | 0–2 |
| Seattle | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 1–4 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 0–6 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 2–3 | 1–5 | – | 4–1 | 1–1 |
| Utah | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 1–4 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–5 | 3–2 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 1–4 | – | 0–2 |
| Washington | 4–1 | 1–5 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | — |

### Game log
## Awards and records

* Larry Smith, NBA All-Rookie Team 1st Team
* Joe Barry Carroll, NBA All-Rookie Team 1st Team