Sixers: Top 5 defenders in franchise history

Top 5 defenders in Sixers history — 2. Maurice Cheeks

Maurice Cheeks played as many years as Doctor J did with the Sixers. Where Erving made the NBA All-Defensive team once, Mo Cheeks earned that status five times. He may not have the same highlight reel of dunks as Doctor J, but he has his own collection of defensive plays that would impress anyone in this Youtube generation. Let’s start with his numbers to establish his impact as a defender.

In 11 seasons, Cheeks racked up 2,310 steals, making him fifth all-time in NBA history! For Philadelphia, he is the all-time leader with 1,942. These numbers, along with his championship ring, made Cheeks a lock for the Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.

His job as a point guard for the 76ers not only required him to run the offense and distribute dimes to his teammates, he also had to guard some of the league’s quickest and most talented players who played his position. He had to guard players like Isiah Thomas, John Stockton, and Mark Price. The skill and instinct to matchup against these great players was tremendous, and Cheeks did his fair share of pestering up and down the court.

One example of his outstanding defense was in the 1986 season when Cheeks recorded nine steals in one game! This is a feat that most NBA guards could only dream of in this era of basketball.

There is a reason why Maurice Cheeks is considered the best point guard in franchise history. It wasn’t just his leadership and steady demeanor on the court. His fierce competitive nature, defensively, makes him the second best defender to ever wear a 76er uniform.