Philadelphia 76ers: 15 greatest draft picks in franchise history

Drafted in 1980, Andrew Toney quickly became an important part of the Sixers’ offense. He was an incredible individual scorer, earning the ‘Boston Strangler’ nickname for his big games against the Celtics in the 1982 postseason. In that series, Toney averaged 26.2 points per contest before closing out the series with a 34-point explosion in Game 7.

Toney spent his entire eight-year career in Philadelphia, averaging 15.9 points per game and making two All-Star appearances. He was one of the key pieces in the Sixers’ 1983 championship run, averaging 22 points per game in a four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Charles Barkley once cited Toney as the best player he ever played with:

"“Andrew Toney is the best player I ever played with. When I first got to Philadelphia, everyone kept asking me, ‘How’s Dr. J? What’s Moses like? How about Maurice Cheeks? I told them, ‘They’re all fine, but wait until you see Andrew.'” — Charles Barkley, via The Baltimore Sun"

Toney’s career was unfortunately cut short by foot injuries, which shut him down after the 1987-88 season. His role in the Sixers’ championship win, as well the Sixers/Celtics rivalry, has made Toney especially relevant during the 2018 playoffs.