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Philadelphia 76ers: 25 Best Players To Play For The 76ers

By Phil Watson

Dec 11, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; General view of the Wells Fargo Center during a game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons won107-95. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 11, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; General view of the Wells Fargo Center during a game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons won107-95. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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WASHINGTON – 1984: Philadelphia 76ers’ Maurice Cheeks #10 jumps and passes near the net during a game against the Washington Bullets at Capital Centre circa 1984 in Washington, D.C.. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON – 1984: Philadelphia 76ers’ Maurice Cheeks #10 jumps and passes near the net during a game against the Washington Bullets at Capital Centre circa 1984 in Washington, D.C.. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

93. <strong>How acquired:</strong> Second-round pick (36th overall) from West Texas State, 1978 NBA Draft.. PG. . Maurice Cheeks. 10. player

Maurice Cheeks was an intriguing mid-major prospect out of West Texas State (now West Texas A&M) after averaging almost 17 points, six rebounds and six assists per game as a senior.

The Philadelphia 76ers took Cheeks in the second round of the 1978 NBA Draft and the Chicago native was a day-one starter at point guard.

PHI_10_CHEEKS
PHI_10_CHEEKS /

Cheeks wound up a four-time All-Star and a five-time All-Defensive selection for the 76ers, leading the NBA in minutes per game in 1985-86.

He was also third in the league in assists in 1981-82 and fifth in 1985-86 and finished second in the NBA in steals in 1981-82, third in 1986-87 and fourth in 1980-81, 1983-84 and 1985-86.

In the 1980 NBA Finals, Cheeks averaged 14.7 points, 6.7 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 2.5 steals in 36.8 minutes per game, shooting .577/0-for-1/6-for-9 in a six-game loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Back in the Finals in 1982, he averaged 14.7 points, 8.7 assists, 2.5 rebounds and two steals in 37.2 minutes per game on .429/0-for-1/.762 shooting in another six-game defeat at the hands of the Lakers.

The 76ers broke through against L.A. in the 1983 NBA Finals, with Cheeks averaging 15.3 points, 6.3 assists, 2.8 steals and 2.3 rebounds in 35.8 minutes per game, shooting .553/—/9-for-15 in the four-game sweep.

In August 1989, Cheeks was traded with David Wingate and Chris Welp to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Johnny Dawkins and Jay Vincent.

In 11 seasons in Philadelphia, Cheeks averaged 12.2 points, 7.3 assists, three rebounds and 2.3 steals in 33.5 minutes per game, shooting .528/.250/.790.

He was traded to the New York Knicks in February 1990 and later was dealt to the Atlanta Hawks in October 1991. In January 1993, he signed as a free agent with the New Jersey Nets, retiring at the end of the 1992-93 season.

Cheeks was an assistant coach for the 76ers for six years before getting a head coaching gig with the Portland Trail Blazers in June 2001. He was 162-139 and 3-7 in the playoffs before he was fired in March 2005.

Hired to coach in Philadelphia in May 2005, the 76ers were 122-147 and 2-4 in the postseason on Cheeks’ watch before he was fired in December 2008. Cheeks was hired to coach the Detroit Pistons in June 2013, but was just 21-29 before he was fired in February 2014.

Hired as an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder in June 2015, he is 12th in NBA history with 7,392 assists, fifth with 2,310 steals, 47th with a field-goal percentage of .523, 33rd with an average of 6.7 assists per game and 10th with an average of 2.1 steals per game.

Next: The Super Sub Of The Sixers