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On a fairly regular basis, teams are relying heavily on quality ball rotation to get open looks at the perimeter. Ball handlers are always looking to make that one extra pass to that unguarded man beyond the arc in order to draw an extra point out of the possession.
Assists are the way by which a player can affect the game despite not being able to score at regular intervals. Dishing out sneaky dimes in a traffic jam is something that draws genuine awe from the audience, and leaves the defence grasping on thin air.
By the virtue of ball rotation and skilful use of passing lanes, teams are able to exploit the most out of every single possession back and forth. Some of the elite basketball minds in the current NBA landscape have made a name for themselves in the assists field of the game. Their impeccable court vision coupled with an ability to read the defence and make the right pass/extra pass is what sets them apart from all other facilitators in the game right now.
Let's take a look at the top five players with the best assists per game average so far in the 2018-19 season.
#5 Nikola Jokic - 7.7 assists per game
Jokic has been the centrepiece for the Nuggets' rise to glory this season. He has seen himself turn into the franchise cornerstone even before being named an All-Star for the very first time.
Carrying a 7-foot frame and hailing from Serbia, the Joker has made a league-wide reputation for his fancy passing aptitude. He plays at the centre position for the Denver Nuggets, but at the same time, plays the role of a distributor. Jokic's no-look bounce passes to cutting teammates are what leave the defence shell shocked.
In the 53 games he has started for Denver this season, Nikola has amassed a total of 408 assists, averaging around 7.7 a game. His assists numbers have been on an upward curve for some time now, with this year being his career-best.
#4 James Harden - 7.9 assists per game
Harden has averaged as high 11.2 assists a game just a couple of seasons ago, so his current 7.9 might seem like a cakewalk to many.
What's mind-numbing is the fact that the man who is leading the league in points per game is also Top 5 in terms of assists average across the league. Imagine what could have been, had he chosen not to dish all those passes out and score for himself.
The finesse with which the Beard draws contact in unmatched. Expectedly so he collapses the whole defence when he makes a wild dash for the rim, opening up his fellow Rockets mates on the perimeter for an easy dish.
He has stacked up 403 assists for himself this season, having played 51 games with full rigour to drag his team out of a deep hole.
#3 Jrue Holiday & Ben Simmons - 8.0 assists per game
Pelicans point guard Jrue Holiday and Sixers point guard Ben Simmons are both averaging eight assists a game, in two considerably contrasting scenarios.
Holiday has been playing a highly underrated role to Anthony Davis, while Simmons' triple-doubles back in Philly are becoming a routine statline. The reigning Rookie of the Year has got himself a total of 425 assists (third most in the league), while Jrue leads him with 442 (second most in the league) to his name.
Simmons has proven to be a player who can very well grow into becoming a franchise centrepiece as he sure houses the talent for it as well. His court vision and ball-handling prowess make up for the lack of long-range shooting to a large extent.
On the other hand, Holiday possesses the skills of a true point guard, one who can shoot, drive and pass and play as the perfect facilitator for the generational talent in Davis.
#2 Kyle Lowry - 9.3 assists per game
Amongst the names in the list, Kyle Lowry has played the least number of games (44) and managed to dish out 407 assists all the same. He started out slow, with many doubting his compatibility with All-Star Kawhi Leonard. But things have turned out quite well for him and his team after all.
Lowry is averaging a career-high 9.3 assists this season, posting as high as 17 assists back in a game against the Hawks in November. Being able to put up just around 14 points a game on an average, Lowry has been able to keep the offence rolling with his point guard finesse.
At age 32, Kyle is an All-Star for the fifth time in his career, as he still continues to play the role of a legit hustler despite not having the right size and built for the game.
#1 Russell Westbrook - 11.2 assists per game
If there's any triple-double specialist in the NBA, it's the Brodie for sure.
Westbrook has seen decreased numbers in scoring, owing to Paul George's breakout year on both ends of the floors. However, his all-around averages do look impressive when viewed as a whole.
Averaging a triple-double again this year, Russell is averaging a career-high in assists as well. Across just 46 games, he has recorded a mammoth total of 515 assists, which is the most in the league and leads the second best by more than 60 dimes.
This is the former MVP's fourth straight season with a 10+ assists average as he continues to help Oklahoma City in more ways than just scoring the ball.
He has been averaging more than 13 assists across the last 10 matchups he has started for OKC, reaching as high as 24 assists in a game against the Spurs back in January.
