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Player profile · ATL / NJN / NYK / PHI / SAS
Maurice Cheeks
Maurice Cheeks stats, teams and career impact
#100 all-timeCareer averages · 11.1 PPG · 2.8 RPG · 6.7 APGPeak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
- Position
- Point guard
- Final NBA team
- New Jersey Nets
- Height / weight
- 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) · 180 lb (82 kg)
- Born
- September 8, 1956 (70 yrs old)
- College
- West Texas A&M University
- NBA seasons
- 15 seasons · 1978–79 to 1992–93
Career summaryMaurice Cheeks was a point guard who played 15 NBA seasons, from 1978–79 through 1992–93.
- Career PPG
- 11.1
- Career RPG
- 2.8
- Career APG
- 6.7
- #9 in 1981–82
- #100 all-time
Best-Season Impact Rank
Career Impact Rank
Peak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
Career overview
Why Maurice Cheeks ranks #100 all time
Maurice Cheeks ranks #100 all time. Across his three best seasons, his average league finish was #10.7. His full-career value ranks #69, so longevity is a major reason he lands this high.
450+ minutes required per season
1,101 games · Career Value Rank #69
NBA honors4× All-Star · 5× All-DefenseContext only; honors are not model inputs.
Head to head
Compare Maurice Cheeks with…
Ten suggested matchups, selected from familiar debates, similar careers, and players from the same era. Compare career impact, peak seasons, and the numbers behind the result.
- Derek Harper Similar career path
- Tim Hardaway Similar career path
- Jeff Hornacek Similar career path
- Ron Harper Similar career path
- Sam Cassell Similar career path
- Brent Barry Similar career path
- Alex English Same-era comparison
- Jack Sikma Same-era comparison
- Walter Davis Same-era comparison
- Bernard King Same-era comparison
Full player detailsTeam history, career shooting and sources
Full team history
- Teams
- Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks, and New Jersey Nets
Career shooting
NBA regular season- Field goal
- 52.3%FG%
- Three-point
- 25.5%3P%
- Free throw
- 79.3%FT%
1,101 career games · 34,845 minutes
Sources and updateConventional stats and measurements: Basketball Reference, accessed Sep 13, 2026. hussEyquation ranking data through 2025–26. Life dates: Wikidata; conflicting dates checked against Basketball Reference, accessed Sep 17, 2026.
Traditional box score
Maurice Cheeks stats by season
Start with scoring and impact, then switch views for shooting or the full advanced picture. Career percentages use total makes and attempts.
Swipe for PPG · RPG · APG · Impact · Team · G · GS · MPG →
| 1992–93 | 3.6 | 1.2 | 3.1 | +1.38 | NJN | 35 | 0 | 14.6 | 54.8% | 0.0% | 88.9% | #65 | 34.5 |
| 1991–92 | 4.6 | 1.7 | 3.3 | +1.01 | ATL | 56 | 0 | 19.4 | 46.2% | 50.0% | 60.5% | #73 | 66.5 |
| 1990–91 | 7.8 | 2.3 | 5.7 | +1.17 | NYK | 76 | 64 | 28.3 | 49.9% | 25.0% | 81.4% | #67 | 134.8 |
| 1989–90 | 9.7 | 3.0 | 5.6 | +1.66 | NYK/SAS | 81 | 62 | 31.1 | 50.4% | 25.0% | 84.7% | #47 | 189.3 |
| 1988–89 | 11.6 | 2.6 | 7.8 | +1.16 | PHI | 71 | 70 | 32.4 | 48.3% | 7.7% | 77.4% | #58 | 149.0 |
| 1987–88 | 13.7 | 3.2 | 8.0 | +2.87 | PHI | 79 | 79 | 36.3 | 49.5% | 13.6% | 82.5% | #22 | 279.7 |
| 1986–87 | 15.6 | 3.2 | 7.9 | +3.14 | PHI | 68 | 68 | 38.6 | 52.7% | 23.5% | 77.7% | #21 | 273.6 |
| 1985–86 | 15.4 | 2.9 | 9.2 | +3.28 | PHI | 82 | 82 | 39.9 | 53.7% | 23.5% | 84.2% | #21 | 361.4 |
| 1984–85 | 13.1 | 2.8 | 6.4 | +2.83 | PHI | 78 | 78 | 33.5 | 57.0% | 23.1% | 87.9% | #24 | 265.3 |
| 1983–84 | 12.7 | 2.7 | 6.4 | +2.37 | PHI | 75 | 75 | 33.3 | 55.0% | 40.0% | 73.3% | #24 | 226.1 |
| 1982–83 | 12.5 | 2.6 | 6.9 | +3.87 | PHI | 79 | 79 | 31.2 | 54.2% | 16.7% | 75.4% | #11 | 309.3 |
| 1981–82 | 11.2 | 3.1 | 8.4 | +4.29 | PHI | 79 | 79 | 31.6 | 52.1% | 27.3% | 77.7% | #9 | 329.5 |
| 1980–81 | 9.4 | 3.0 | 6.9 | +3.64 | PHI | 81 | 81 | 29.8 | 53.4% | 37.5% | 78.7% | #12 | 293.2 |
| 1979–80 | 11.4 | 3.5 | 7.0 | +2.61 | PHI | 79 | 79 | 33.2 | 54.0% | 44.4% | 77.9% | #25 | 259.6 |
| 1978–79 | 8.4 | 3.1 | 5.3 | +0.94 | PHI | 82 | 82 | 29.4 | 51.0% | — | 72.1% | #56 | 157.7 |
| Career | 11.1 | 2.8 | 6.7 | — | ATL/NJN/NYK/PHI/SAS | 1101 | — | 31.6 | 52.3% | 25.5% | 79.3% | — | — |
Source: Basketball Reference regular-season totals, accessed Sep 13, 2026.
Film evidence
Maurice Cheeks highlights
Watch the selected footage or film analysis, then use the season record and impact data to put what happened on the floor in context.
Career retrospective
Maurice Cheeks Hall of Fame career retrospective
The Hall of Fame feature shows Cheeks's point-of-attack defense, passing and steady decision-making for the championship-era 76ers.
What these measures mean
- Era-centered box impact
- Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average.
- Impact Rate Rank
- The player's place among qualified players in one season.
- Value contribution / Season Value
- Completed seasons use a fixed-baseline contribution to Career Value. The live season instead uses Season Value, combining that season's impact with workload.
- Career Impact Rank
- An all-time rank weighted toward the player's best three, five, and ten seasons.
14.1 composite · lower is better
14.8 average league finish
3,330 total value
Career standing
How Maurice Cheeks ranks all time
These are league placements, not raw scores. Each season is judged against that season's qualified player pool.
Best in the league
Elite finishes
Upper-tier finishes
Tie-breaker across top-ten seasons
Career Composite Score14.1
Best 3, Best 5, and Best 10 average league finishes receive 50%, 30%, and 20% window weights. Missing seasons receive a replacement finish just below the player's typical qualified field. Lower is better.
- Best 3 effective weight
- 74%
- Missing-season finish
- —
- Qualified seasons
- 15
- All-time rank
- #100
Strongest seasons
Every season
Maurice Cheeks advanced stats by season
Era-centered box impact supports comparisons through time. Impact Rate and its rank compare players only within that season.
More advanced statsAge, minutes, impact, rank, value and data coverage
Scroll for more columns
| 1992–93Historical Defense Estimate | NJN | 36 | 35 | 510 | +1.38 | 78.3 | #65 | 34.5 | 49th | Standard |
| 1991–92Historical Defense Estimate | ATL | 35 | 56 | 1,086 | +1.01 | 75.1 | #73 | 66.5 | 61st | Broad |
| 1990–91Historical Defense Estimate | NYK | 34 | 76 | 2,147 | +1.17 | 77.3 | #67 | 134.8 | 78th | Broad |
| 1989–90Historical Defense Estimate | NYK/SAS | 33 | 81 | 2,519 | +1.66 | 84.0 | #47 | 189.3 | 84th | Broad |
| 1988–89Historical Defense Estimate | PHI | 32 | 71 | 2,298 | +1.16 | 78.3 | #58 | 149.0 | 77th | Broad |
| 1987–88Historical Defense Estimate | PHI | 31 | 79 | 2,871 | +2.87 | 91.6 | #22 | 279.7 | 93rd | Broad |
| 1986–87Historical Defense Estimate | PHI | 30 | 68 | 2,624 | +3.14 | 92.2 | #21 | 273.6 | 92nd | Broad |
| 1985–86Historical Defense Estimate | PHI | 29 | 82 | 3,270 | +3.28 | 92.1 | #21 | 361.4 | 96th | Broad |
| 1984–85Historical Defense Estimate | PHI | 28 | 78 | 2,616 | +2.83 | 90.9 | #24 | 265.3 | 91st | Broad |
| 1983–84Historical Defense Estimate | PHI | 27 | 75 | 2,494 | +2.37 | 90.7 | #24 | 226.1 | 92nd | Broad |
| 1982–83Historical Defense Estimate | PHI | 26 | 79 | 2,465 | +3.87 | 96.0 | #11 | 309.3 | 95th | Broad |
| 1981–82Historical Defense Estimate | PHI | 25 | 79 | 2,498 | +4.29 | 96.9 | #9 | 329.5 | 95th | Broad |
| 1980–81Historical Defense Estimate | PHI | 24 | 81 | 2,415 | +3.64 | 95.6 | #12 | 293.2 | 94th | Broad |
| 1979–80Historical Defense Estimate | PHI | 23 | 79 | 2,623 | +2.61 | 89.6 | #25 | 259.6 | 91st | Broad |
| 1978–79Historical Defense Estimate | PHI | 22 | 82 | 2,409 | +0.94 | 75.8 | #56 | 157.7 | 78th | Broad |
Career movement
Maurice Cheeks's career impact by season
Peak +4.29 in 1981–82 · 15 seasons · 34,845 minutes
The same historical box-score model is used for every season, making the career shape comparable through time. The vertical scale adapts to this player's range and always includes zero.
Era-centered box impactMinutes
Player-specific impact scaleWorkload
Career comparison
Compare the shape, not the calendar
Align by NBA experience to compare season one with season one, or by age to compare players at the same stage of life.
Maurice CheeksDerek Harper
| NBA season | Maurice Cheeks | Derek Harper |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.9 | -1.3 |
| 2 | 2.6 | 2.0 |
| 3 | 3.6 | 2.9 |
| 4 | 4.3 | 4.2 |
| 5 | 3.9 | 3.0 |
| 6 | 2.4 | 3.3 |
| 7 | 2.8 | 4.2 |
| 8 | 3.3 | 3.2 |
| 9 | 3.1 | 1.6 |
| 10 | 2.9 | 1.4 |
| 11 | 1.2 | -0.3 |
| 12 | 1.7 | -0.5 |
| 13 | 1.2 | -0.0 |
| 14 | 1.0 | -0.7 |
| 15 | 1.4 | -1.1 |
| 16 | Did not play | -1.0 |
NBA season number
Similar career arcs
Players with careers similar to Maurice Cheeks
The career-similarity score compares era-centered box impact, peak, prime, workload, career length, position, and experience-aligned trajectory. It describes career shape, not playing style, equal ability, or probability.
PG · All-Time Career #165
Derek Harper
91career similarity score
99/100 closest-season score · 1981–82 ↔ 1986–87PG · All-Time Career #169Tim Hardaway
91career similarity score
93/100 closest-season score · 1981–82 ↔ 1992–93SG · All-Time Career #186Jeff Hornacek
91career similarity score
91/100 closest-season score · 1981–82 ↔ 1989–90Impact Rate shows how strong a player was compared with everyone else that season. Season Value adds how much he played; completed player-profile rows instead show each season's fixed-baseline contribution to Career Value. Career Impact Rank rewards a high peak, a long prime, and repeated seasons near the top. Older seasons use clearly labeled estimates where the NBA did not record today's full set of statistics. Read how every ranking works →