Philadelphia 76ers: Top 5 point guards in franchise history

1. Maurice Cheeks

When you think of traditional point guards, Maurice Cheeks should come to mind. This Hall of Fame Sixer will go down as the greatest floor general in the history of the franchise. Not only did he enhance the play of his teammates, he elevated the team to championship status because of his precision passing and swift defensive skill. It all started for Mo Cheeks at a small school in Texas.

In the 70s, players were more likely to stay all four years and earn a degree before going pro. Cheeks fit that mold. From 1974 to 1978, he played point guard for West Texas A&M. His numbers were decent his freshman through junior year. By his senior year, he averaged 16.8 points and 5.7 assists a game.

His production and promise at the college level caught the attention of Philadelphia, and Cheeks was drafted 36th in the second round of the 1978 NBA Draft. The 76ers had no clue that they would be getting one of the most prolific ball distributors and steal extraordinaires the league would ever witness.

As a young player, who would play alongside the great Dr. J and Moses Malone. He would also earn assists by passing to other Sixer greats like Bobby Jones, Andrew Toney, George McGinnis, and Darryl Dawkins. After making the playoffs many years consecutively without getting a championship ring, he was finally able to help lead the 76ers to an NBA title in the 1982-83 season. In the NBA Finals versus Magic Johnson and the Lakers, Cheeks will always be remembered for throwing down a one-handed slam as time expired in the elimination game. The celebration was epic.

Overall, Maurice Cheeks was a stellar point guard, a dependable passer who knew how and when to get his stars the ball. In the 11 seasons he wore a Sixer uniform, Cheeks would end up with averages of 12.2 points, 7.3 assists, and 2.3 steals a game. When his career was all said and done, he ended up with 2,310 steals, the fifth most in league history. On top of that, Cheeks finished with 7,392 assists, good for 13th in league history.

Because of his durability, reliability, and professionalism, Maurice Cheeks will always be remembered as the greatest point guard in 76ers history. He was the textbook floor general with the vision, talent, and tenacity to produce a winning tradition in Philadelphia that Sixer fans will forever appreciate.