Here is a ranking of the top 5 shooting guards in the storied history of the Philadelphia 76ers.
It's ranking season as the NBA offseason continues on in the month of August. Now's the time to look back in history and rank some of the best at each position in the history of the Philadelphia 76ers.
The shooting guard position has always been a very important position out on the floor. They are offensive-minded and are the leaders of a team’s offensive attack. In Sixers history, they have had quite a few of those offensive-oriented players at the position.
This top 5 ranking will be based on what those players did in a Sixers uniform and their impact on the franchise such as numbers and accomplishments with the Sixers such as placement on all-time lists in franchise history.
With that being said, let's get into this list:
Honorable mention
JJ Redick
Redick had two very productive seasons in Philadelphia averaging 17.6 points and 2.8 assists while shooting 40.7% from deep and he broke Kyle Korver’s single-season record for most threes made in a season. He was the shooter who spread the floor for Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons to operate. He was sorely missed after he left for the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2019 offseason.
No. 5: Hersey Hawkins
Hawkins, along with the incomparable Charles Barkley, led the new era of Sixers after Julius Erving and Moses Malone. Hawkins was named an All-Star in 1991 and he averaged 19.0 points and 3.6 rebounds during his time in Philadelphia and he also shot 40.6% from deep. He was a guy who could be counted on for a bucket.
No. 4: Doug Collins
Collins, the number 1 overall pick in the 1973 draft, created a really solid career for himself in Philadelphia. He averaged 17.9 points and 3.3 assists and he was named an All-Star four times in his career. Standing at 6-foot-6 and just 180 pounds, he was a solid player with the Sixers.
No. 3: Andrew Toney
Famously known as “The Boston Stangler”, Andrew Toney was a versatile guard who knew when his role and knew when it was time to get a bucket. He averaged 19.7 points per game during the 1982-93 title season and then followed that up by scoring 20.4 points the following season. Those were the two All-Star seasons of his career in Philadelphia.
No. 2: Hal Greer
A Hall of Famer, Greer is the all-time leading scorer in franchise history as he finished with a career average of 19.2 points and a total of 21,586 points and he was named an All-Star 10 times. He helped Wilt Chamberlain lead the Sixers to a title in 1967.
No. 1: Allen Iverson
Was there any doubt about who would earn the top spot? Iverson was just something special. The minute he stepped onto the court in Philadelphia, he captured everybody’s attention. He averaged 27.6 points and 6.1 assists, he won the scoring title four times, he is second in the franchise’s history in scoring, he’s third in assists, and he’s second in steals. The 6-foot guard from Georgetown also carried this franchise on his bony shoulders to the finals in 2001.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Ranking the top 5 shooting guards in Philadelphia 76ers history
Category: Basketball