RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesIt's time for rankings in the NBA offseason as everybody gives opinions on where players rank in specific categories. The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the more historic franchises in the history of the league with a number of legendary players donning their colors and making an impact on both the Sixers and the NBA during their time in Philadelphia.
One of those legendary players is Mo Cheeks who was the point guard for Philadelphia's last championship team in 1983. Cheeks averaged 12.2 points, 7.3 assists, and 2.3 steals in 11 seasons in Philadelphia and was named an All-Star four times. He was terrific with the Sixers and his No. 10 jersey hangs from the rafters at Xfinity Mobile Arena for what he has done for this franchise.
Bleacher Report is ranking the top 99 defenders in the history of the NBA and Cheeks comes in ranked No. 51 on the list:
Maurice Cheeks was one of the best creators and distributors of his era, but he also did a ton to disrupt the same for the opposition.
On another team packed with legends like Julius Erving, Moses Malone and Charles Barkley, Cheeks often had the responsibility of covering the opposition's best guards. And he was elite at keeping them in front of him and out of the paint.
And while counting stats are far from the be-all, end-all when it comes to evaluating defense, Cheeks did average at least two steals per game in each of his first 10 NBA seasons.
Cheeks is considered not only one of the best players in the history of the Sixers, but also the history of the league. He was a smooth player who was always under control and was a huge reason for Philadelphia having the success it did in the Julius Erving era. He deserves all of the praise he receives for his career.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Sixers great Mo Cheeks ranked 51st-best defender in NBA history
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