The Philadelphia 76ers have laid claim to plenty of consistent outside shooters so Section 215 ranks the best 3-point shooters in franchise history.
The Philadelphia 76ers have seen many legends come and go through their organization. Dolph Schayes, Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving, Darryl Dawkins, Moses Malone, and Charles Barkley are just some prime examples of players have shaped the culture and history of this franchise. Unfortunately, these guys won’t make our list of the franchises’ 3-point shooters because, well, that just wasn’t their game.
The modern game has brought NBA fans more of an outside game, and with this list we see how more recent players have put more of an emphasis on hitting the 3-point shot. Analysis of players from the start of the 3-point era to present day players was looked at when compiling the list.
Shots made, attempts, and percentage stats for each player while they were playing for the Philadelphia 76ers were taken into account. We’ll take a look at the five best outside shooters in Philadelphia 76ers history, but first here are some honorable mentions.
Next: Honorable Mentions
Honorable Mentions
The sentiment amongst fans was that Iggy was always just a consistent outside shot away from superstardom. The outside shot was a matter of streakiness for Andre Iguodala, as he was tasked with transitioning the team from the end of the first Iverson era to life without AI.
He shot a respectable 33.1% from outside with the Philadelphia 76ers, putting himself third in 3-pointers made (563). Like Iverson, he was a high volume shooter, as he ended his Sixers career second in attempts (1700). Iggy is finding his outside groove from the Warriors, shooting over 35% from 3-point land the past three seasons, but that won’t help him on this list.
Allen Iverson is on the Philadelphia 76ers’ “Mount Rushmore” of greats to play for the organization, however he failed to crack the list of the 5 best 3-point shooters in the team’s history.
He currently holds the franchise record for 3-pointers made with 885 and leads that category by 124, however he also has the record for 3-pointers attempted with a total of 2,864 attempts (1,164 more than the next highest). This gives Iverson a 30.9% 3-point percentage in his time with the Philadelphia 76ers, which hurt his case for top 5 in team history.
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Andrew Toney was the X-factor for the Philadelphia 76ers’ greatest era and provided outside shooting relief on a team that centered around inside scoring. Toney shot 34.2% from outside the arch, but only attempted 403 3-pointers in his 8-year career with Philadelphia, making 138 of them.
Opposite of Iverson and Iguodala, Toney didn’t shoot enough from the outside to sneak onto the list. Understanding that the era he played in was not as centered around outside shooting as the modern game is, we will say that Toney was the closest of the honorable mentions to land a spot.
Next: No. 5: Trust The Proc3ss
No. 5
Hollis Thompson has been apart of the Philadelphia 76ers throughout one of the organizations most trying eras. That hasn’t stopped Thompson from quickly shooting up the teams record books in terms of 3-point shooting. In just three seasons with the team, Thompson has already hit over 300 3-pointers and counting. Over the three seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, he has accumulated a 3-point percentage 39.1%.
Hollis Thompson has quietly became the most dangerous option on the Sam Hinkie-era Sixers and will continue to climb the leaderboards as long as he stays with the team.
He has quickly put himself seventh in 3-pointers made in franchise history. Hollis Thompson has been the most consistent outside shooter for the 76ers the past three seasons and has produced a high level of shot making from beyond the arch.
Next: No. 4: Sweet Sweet Lou
No. 4
Sweet Lou Will won over the city of Philadelphia with toughness, swagger, and memorable 3-point buzzer beaters. Williams shot 33.7% from the outside and left the Philadelphia 76ers hitting the fifth most 3-pointers in franchise history. In his last season with the team, he shot 36.2% from outside. Sweet Lou found a way to put the ball in the hoop in the most unlikely of situations.
His knack for hitting shots at clutch moments has ingrained himself in the mind of many Philadelphia 76ers fan in the post-Iverson, pre-Hinkie era. Lou Williams has seen continued success in his post-Sixers career, but he will always have a special place for him here in Philly. Plus, announcer Marc Zumoff always gave him the best calls: “SWEET LOU FOR 3! Buries it.”
Williams also found ways to hit seemingly impossible threes, and his incredible touch from the outside in his time with the Philadelphia 76ers puts him at number four on this list.
Next: Two Seasons Of Threes
No. 3
Dana Barros played just two seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, but had an incredible outside shooting streak in that time. In the ’93-’94 season, his debut season with the team, Barros hit 135 3-pointers on 38.1% shooting. He followed that season up with one of the most historic outside shooting in NBA history.
His astonishing 197 3-pointers on 46.4% shooting led to his first career All-Star appearance and the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award. Barros sits atop the Philadelphia 76ers 3-point percentage leaderboard. The 5′-11 Barros used quickness and simple stepbacks to give him separation, allowing his dagger-like 3-pointers to affect the game more than almost anyone in the ’94-’95 season.
Two seasons might not qualify some other players for this list, but the amount of productivity Barros gave the Philadelphia 76ers in his short time with the team was high enough to put him in the top three of the team’s shooters. If he played more than two seasons in Philly, he might’ve topped the list, but two great seasons doesn’t get you to the top.
Next: No. 2: The Hawk Lets It Fly
No. 2
Hersey Hawkins was the definition of the word consistent when it came to hitting the 3-point shot. In three of his five seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, Hawkins shot over 40% each season while just missing that mark the other two times (39.7%). With Jim Lynam as head coach, Hawkins thrived for a team that specialized in outside shooting.
Paired side-by-side with the likes of Scott Brooks and Johnny Dawkins, Hawkins led the team’s 3-point attack. Hawkins contributed a versatile offensive attack to a Philadelphia 76ers team that made the playoffs three consecutive seasons.
Hawkins shot 41.8% from beyond the arch in 21 playoff games for the 76ers. Hawkins sits third in 3-point percentage and fourth in 3-pointers made. Hawkins falls short of the number one position of this list solely because the next shooter was slightly more efficient. The consistency Hawkins shown puts him amongst the best in franchise history.
Next: No. 1: The Pretty Boy
No. 1
Kyle Korver’s rankings amongst the Philadelphia 76ers’ record books are second in 3-pointers made (661) and second in 3-point percentage (40.8). So, Korver doesn’t lead one basic 3-point category in team history, why is he the best outside shooter in franchise history? First off, he is second to two inflated stats. Iverson’s made 3-pointers came on over 1,000 more attempts and Barros’ 3-point percentage was amassed in two seasons.
Korver was the most effective and consistent in team history in his four seasons with the team. He accumulated an effective field-goal percentage of 53.2% which puts him sixth on the list, second highest ranked guard on the list behind Barros.
He now sees great success in his post-Sixers career, but Korver was the go-to-guy from 3-point land for the Philadelphia 76ers in his time with the team, and he tops the list because of his consistent touch.
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A lot of surprises came from this list. Leaving Iverson and Toney off were tough, but the impact these 5 players had for their respective Philadelphia 76ers teams by shooting at a high percentage from outside placed them among the greatest outside shooters in franchise history. With the game moving more towards the outside shot, it wouldn’t be surprising to see new names spring up on this list in the near future but until then, these 5 will have the honor of being named the franchise’s best outside shooters.