Philadelphia 76ers: All-time favorite bracket, Part IV

Our quest to determine the masses’ favorite Philadelphia 76ers player of all-time continues.

The end has come… for round one, that is. Our all-time favorite Philadelphia 76ers bracket reaches the final stretch of the first round. We have completed 24 of 32 matchups thus far, and shortly, we’ll get to the final eight.

Yesterday’s matchups were, in comparison to the first two days, relatively undramatic. There were a couple upsets — Caldwell Jones over Larry Castello and T.J. McConnell over Dikembe Mutombo — but neither are particularly surprising. The rest was chalk, including Julius Erving‘s sound victory over present-day Sixer Tobias Harris.

Here are Saturday’s results in full.

• (2) Julius Erving def. (63) Tobias Harris
• (31) Kyle Korver def. (34) Theo Ratliff
• (15) Dolph Schayes def. (50) Samuel Dalembert
• (18) Jrue Holiday def. (47) Paul Seymour
• (7) Moses Malone def. (58) Al Cervi
• (39) Caldwell Jones def. (26) Larry Costello
• (10) Billy Cunningham def. (55) Tony Wroten
• (42) T.J. McConnell def. (23) Dikembe Mutombo

Here are today’s matchups.

(3) Joel Embiid vs. (62) Darrall Imhoff

The Process personified. The franchise’s saving grace in one of its darkest periods. Joel Embiid has earned not only a high seed, but a legitimate chance to win this tournament. He has connected to the city in a way few stars can, and he’s already a top-10 talent on his better nights. Embiid is a franchise cornerstone, an all-time talent, and a fan favorite wrapped into one.

Imhoff was with the Sixers in the late 60s. An efficient scorer and a productive center, Imhoff actually played for the opponent when Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points. He would join the Sixers years after, though, and gave Philadelphia two productive seasons.

(30) Archie Clark vs. (35) Eric Snow

Nicknamed ‘Shake and Bake’ for his inventive ball handling skills, Archie Clark came to Philadelphia in the Wilt Chamberlain trade. He never filled the massive void left by one of the all-time greats, but he was a dynamic point guard for his time. In his three full seasons with Philadelphia, Clark averaged 18.1 points and 4.7 assists per game.

Snow was traded to Philadelphia in the 1997-98 season and spent six seasons with the Sixers afterward. He was part of the 2001 Finals team, and though he wasn’t a star, he was one of the more beloved role players on a scrappy underdog. He was an effective facilitator, aptly paired with Allen Iverson in the backcourt.

(14) Hersey Hawkins vs. (51) Johnny Dawkins

Hawkins spent the first five years of his NBA career in Philadelphia, and they were perhaps his most productive. He was an efficient three-point shooter, a crafty finisher, and his defense is underrated to this day. He had a knack for steals, and he had the physical tools to match his instincts — on both ends.

Dawkins, on the other hand, spent five years in Philadelphia from 1989 to 1994. While his production tapered off toward the end of his stint, he was extremely effective his first few seasons — both as a perimeter scorer and as a high-end playmaker.

(19) Doug Collins vs. (46) Chris Webber

Collins was the No. 1 pick in 1973 and spent his entire eight-year career in Philadelphia, including four consecutive All-Star appearances in the middle. His career was cut short due to injury, and the top pick always entails lofty expectations, but Collins was good — real good. He remains, to this day, one of the most effective wing scorers in Sixers history.

Webber spent only one full season (and two half-seasons) in Philadelphia, none of which fell in his prime. And yet, Webber was still productive in his time as a Sixer, averaging 17.9 points and flashing the talent that made him one of the best power forwards in recent memory.

(6) Maurice Cheeks vs. (59) Wali Jones

A key to the Sixers’ 1983 championship run — and multiple Finals runs before that — Maurice Cheeks has long been a fan favorite. Beyond his immaculate basketball I.Q. and undeniable skill, he was a hard-worker, a positive personality, and someone fans constantly rallied behind. He’s sixth in this bracket for a reason.

Jones came out of the same local high school as Wilt Chamberlain, and spent six years in Philadelphia after spending his rookie year in Baltimore. A scrappy lead guard, a local, and a fan favorite, Jones was easy to root for and holds a prominent position in Sixers history, even if it’s less prominent than his name-brand high school predecessor.

(27) Luke Jackson vs. (38) Clarence Weatherspoon

A key component in the Sixers’ 1967 championship, Jackson spent his entire career — all eight years — in Philadelphia before fading out due to injury. He made his lone All-Star appearance as a rookie, and made for a powerful tandem next to Wilt in the frontcourt. He never got the spotlight of No. 1 star because of aforementioned injuries, but Jackson is a Sixers legend through and through.

Weatherspoon spent his first five seasons in Philadelphia before being traded midway through his sixth. He was a proficient scorer on the wing, averaging 16.2 points and 8.4 boards over that span. He helped as best he could to fill the void left by Charles Barkley, who went to Phoenix the season Weatherspoon arrived.

(11) Hal Greer vs. (54) Nerlens Noel

Quite possibly a top-three Sixer of all-time, Hal Greer deserves more recognition when discussing the long legacy of great Philadelphia athletes. Greer was a creative, sometimes unconventional scorer, which led to 10 All-Star appearances. He also spent his entire 15-year career split between Syracuse and Philadelphia, the rare one-franchise superstar.

The first domino to fall in Sam Hinkie’s grand rebuilding scheme was the Jrue Holiday trade, which happened to net a center by the name of Nerlens Noel. While Noel never flourished in the Sixers’ logjam of a frontcourt, he was one of the most exciting young defenders in basketball. He also earned a degree of fan love his teammate and fellow high-picked center Jahlil Okafor never could.

(22) World B. Free vs. (43) Manute Bol

Free spent the first three years of his career in Philadelphia and didn’t peak until after he left. Even so, he remains ingrained in the culture, in large part due to his on-court contributions while in the City of Brotherly Love. He was an explosive scorer and a vibrant personality.

Bol was a fan favorite in large part due to the spectacle of a 7-foot-7 center who occasionally shot threes. He only spent three relatively unproductive seasons in Philadelphia, but Bol still managed to capture the attention and the imagination of fans. It wasn’t common for bigs in his era to shoot triples and spread the court, much less at 7-foot-7.

If you want to get in on the action and vote, follow our Twitter page (@SixerSense). The polls will go up this afternoon and last three hours.