Who Leads the NBA in Assists?

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional men’s basketball league in North America. Who leads the NBA in assists per game?

Point Guards

The clear leader in assists this season has been Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder, whose average of 10.4 assists per game is nearly two full assists ahead of his closest competitor. Westbrook is also the only player averaging double-digit assists per game. Of the top 20 assist leaders in the NBA, 11 are point guards.

Russell Westbrook

In the 2017-2018 NBA season, Russell Westbrook led the league in assists per game with an average of 10.3. He was closely followed by LeBron James (9.1), James Harden (8.8), and Rajon Rondo (8.3). Westbrook also led the league in total assists with 721, while Harden was second with 713 and Rondo was third with 699.

Chris Paul

Chris Paul, who has spent his last 10 seasons with the Houston Rockets, is the NBA’s active leader in assists with 9,181. He’s averaged at least 8.9 assists per game in nine of his last 10 seasons and is currently averaging 8.6 assists per game during the 2019-20 season.

LeBron James

LeBron James is 6th on the NBA’s all-time assists list, and he continues to move up. He is currently averaging 10.6 assists per game for the Lakers, leading the team and ranking 4th in the league. With his career total of 10,049 assists, he needs just 41 more to move past Magic Johnson for 5th place on the list.

Shooting Guards

There is currently a three-way tie for the lead in assists among shooting guards in the NBA. All three players average over seven assists per game. These players are: ____.

James Harden

In the 2019-2020 season, Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden led the NBA in assists with an average of 8.0 per game. Harden was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2009 and traded to the Rockets in 2012. He is a six-time NBA All-Star and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player in 2018.

Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets leads the NBA in assists per game, with an average of 10.2. He is followed closely by Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks, who averages 9.4 assists per game. Other top shooting guards in the league include LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers (8.0 assists per game) and Russell Westbrook of the Houston Rockets (7.9 assists per game).

Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A six-time NBA All-Star, he has been named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) twice and won three NBA championships with the Warriors. Many players and analysts have called him the greatest shooter in NBA history. In 2014–15, Curry won his first MVP award and led the Warriors to their first championship since 1975. The following season, he became the first player in NBA history to be elected MVP by a unanimous vote and to lead the league in scoring while shooting above 50–40–90. That same year, the Warriors broke the record for most wins in an NBA season. Curry is credited with revolutionizing the game of basketball by inspiring teams to frequently use long-range three-point shooting that has spread throughout the league

Small Forwards

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the premier men’s professional basketball league in the world. It is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada), and is one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. The NBA is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB), which is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the national governing body for basketball in the United States.

Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant is a small forward who currently leads the NBA in assists. Durant is a nine-time All-Star and was the league’s MVP in 2014. He plays for the Golden State Warriors and is one of the most popular players in the league.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo is a professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player. Standing at 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m), he plays the small forward and power forward positions. After entering the league as an unpolished but talented teenager, he transformed into an All-Star and blossomed into one of the NBA’s best players in just a few years. He was named Most Improved Player in 2016, Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, and has been selected to four All-Star Teams and four All-NBA Teams. He is also a two-time member of the All-Defensive First Team.

Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard is currently leading the NBA in assists, averaging 7.4 assists per game. Leonard is a small forward for the Los Angeles Clippers, and is one of the best players in the league. He is known for his great defense and shooting, and has won Defensive Player of the Year twice.

Power Forwards

The average power forward is large, athletic, and strong, with the ability to shoot from mid-range and post up. They are usually the second or third option on offense after the point guard and small forward. Power forwards typically lead the NBA in assists.

Draymond Green

Consistently one of the league’s top assist men, Green has led the Golden State Warriors in dimes for six consecutive seasons. He’s also averaged at least seven assists per game in each of those seasons, with a career-high average of 7.9 in 2016-17. That year, he became the first player in NBA history to record 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 100 assists, 100 steals and 100 blocks in a season.

Ben Simmons

Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia Sixers is currently leading the NBA in assists with 8.5 per game. He is followed closely by Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder with 8.2 assists per game. Both players are having an incredible season and show no signs of slowing down. The race for the assist title is one to watch this year!

Nikola Jokic

Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets is one of the best power forwards in the NBA right now. He is averaging a triple double with 26.4 points per game, 10.8 rebounds per game, and 8.3 assists per game. He is also shooting 50.5% from the field and 38.8% from three point range. Jokic is a very efficient player and he always seems to make the right play. He is a big reason why the Nuggets are one of the best teams in the Western Conference.

Centers

There have been many great centers in the NBA who have been able to rack up a lot of assists. Guys like Magic Johnson, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell were all great passers for their big men. Let’s take a look at the current leaders in assists among centers in the NBA.

Rudy Gobert

Rudy Gobert is a French professional basketball player for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also represents the French national team in the international competitions. Standing at 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m), he plays at the center position. He was selected with the 27th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the Jazz and became one of the best defensive players in the league, winning back-to-back NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2018 and 2019.

DeAndre Jordan

Leading the NBA in assists is DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers. Jordan is averaging 11.2 assists per game, which is just ahead of Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who is averaging 11.1 assists per game.

Joel Embiid

As of March 1st, 2020, Joel Embiid leads the NBA in assists with 269. Trailing behind him are Nikola Jokic with 259 and LeBron James with 246.