Top 10 Sixers Draft Picks Of All Time
By Josh Wilson
Standing at just six feet and two inches, Greer is one of the shorter Sixers. Greer was another classic, getting drafted by the Nationals in 1958, as another sleeper pick in the second round. We referenced World B. Free being at the top of that list, but Greer would come above him.
When Greer joined the team, the franchise was three seasons removed from a championship, and had been back to the division finals twice, and semifinals once. Determined to lead the team back to their championship days, Greer averaged under 15 points per game in his first two seasons, but hit a nice pace in his third year with 19.6 points per game. He would follow that up the next year with 22.8, and averaged 21.6 points in between the years of 1960 and 1971.
These years of high performance led the team to the playoffs, but often came up short. After getting knocked out of the divisional semifinals four times, and the divisional finals four times, the then Philadelphia 76ers won their first championship, four years into the new name, and nine years into Greer’s career.
This was the team that ended the Boston Celtics “reign of terror,” where they had won eight championships in a row prior. Greer was a huge part of this team, playing in 80 regular season games and averaging over 22 points per game that season. He averaged 27.7 points per game that year in the playoffs.
The Sixers would then make the playoffs four more times, and stopped making the playoffs for the last two seasons of Greer’s career, where his performance trailed off significantly with 11.8 points per game and 5.6 points per game, clearly displaying how important he was to the team’s success.
One of the most memorable parts of Greer’s career was his irregularly shot free throws, in which he jumped and stood off-center.
Greer was an All Star 10 different times and is now in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Next: No. 3