Ranking the top 5 point guards in Philadelphia 76ers history

The point guard position has undergone plenty of changes throughout the history of the NBA. The evolution has included moving from being mainly pass-first a la Jason Kidd and Steve Nash to thinking about scoring like Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, and Russell Westbrook.

The Philadelphia 76ers have had plenty of great point guards in their history and in this edition, we’re going to rank the top five in the history of the franchise. The list is going to be based on numbers and accomplishments with the Sixers such as placement on all-time lists, for example.

Also, just a disclaimer, Allen Iverson and Hal Greer will be included with the shooting guards.

With that being said, let's get into the list:

Honorable mention: Andre Miller

Miller was acquired from the Denver Nuggets in the trade that sent Iverson to the Rocky Mountains. Miller was obviously not the explosive player Iverson was, but he was rock solid. He averaged 15.9 points, 6.9 assists, and 4.3 rebounds while also being a leader and setting an example for the younger guys. He was a key piece on the 2007-08 “Run With Us” Sixers that made the playoffs.

No. 5: Eric Snow

Acquired from the Seattle Supersonics in 1997, Snow averaged 9.7 points and 6.6 assists during his time in Philadelphia and he was a key piece on the team that reached the NBA Finals in 2001. He was not a star in any sense of the word, but he was a guy who did his part and he was a solid player in the grand scheme of things. He’s 10th on the Sixers’ all-time list in steals and he’s 7th in assists.

No. 4: Larry Costello

Costello spent his entire career in Philadelphia, starting with the Warriors in the 1954-55 season and then the Syracuse Nationals and finishing with the Sixers. He averaged 12.2 points and 3.8 assists during his time in Philadelphia. He's eighth all-time in Sixers history in assists.

No. 3: Jrue Holiday

Holiday made the All-Star team for the Sixers in 2013 averaging 17.7 points and 8.0 assists and he displayed an all-around game. He averaged 13.4 points, 5.8 assists, and 1.4 steals overall in Philadelphia. He blossomed fairly quickly with the Sixers and was named an All-Star in 2013 before being sent to the New Orleans Pelicans in a deal that kicked off "The Process" era.

No. 2: Ben Simmons

Put away your pitchforks and your torches. Regardless of how one feels about Simmons and the ugly way things ended before his trade to the Brooklyn Nets, the 2016 No. 1 overall pick made a huge impact in Philadelphia on the floor. In four seasons on the floor, he won a Rookie of the Year award, three All-Star game appearances, made the All-Defensive First Team twice, and made the All-NBA Third Team in 2020. With 32 triple-doubles, he is only behind Wilt Chamberlain on that list in franchise history. He averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.7 assists along with 1.7 steals as a member of the Sixers. He is more than worthy of this selection.

No. 1: Mo Cheeks

Cheeks averaged 12.2 points and 7.3 assists while being named an All-Star four times and helping the Sixers win a title in 1983. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in assists by a wide margin with 6,212 and he also leads the franchise in steals with 1,942. He has played an instrumental part in the franchise’s history.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Ranking the top 5 point guards in Philadelphia 76ers history