As the National Basketball Association (NBA) becomes more of a high-powered offensive league, the players who can provide with premier assists have become more important than ever. Last season, Tyrese Haliburton had 752 assists and averaged 10.9 assists per game. But he is not the only player to provide premier assists in the league.
The list that features the Top 10 of last season had more forwards that indicated that teams are moving from the idea of point guards running the offence.
Five players who could lead the NBA in assists in the upcoming season
Tyus Jones
Tyus Jones averaged 7.3 apg last season and played 66 games with the Washington Wizards. Last season, he led the league in assist-to-turnover ratio and also had the best AST, TOV ratio in NBA history. He proved that he is a valuable asset for the Wizards and a playmaker too.
Playing as the only playmaker in the offence that contains Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal should work in Jones' favour.
Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic is another name who could potentially lead the league in assists in the upcoming season. Last season, Jokic finished third with the most assists in the league. He averaged 9.0 apg and led the Denver Nuggets to second place in the Western Conference in the regular season.
With the Nuggets offence continuing to run through him and his inverted pick-and-roll with Jamal Murray, he could have more touches than last season, where he led the league with an average of 103.1 touches per game.
Murray's health is also a big concern for the team as Jokic's load would even increase. With the increase in his load, his assists numbers will also see a rise that could help him lead the NBA in terms of assists.
Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic finished second in terms of assists last season as he averaged 9.8 apg, having played 70 games for the Dallas Mavericks. He is one of the string contenders to lead the NBA in terms of assists this year.
He is also one of the league's top playmakers and scorers in the NBA. With the addition of Klay Thompson in the offseason, it becomes ideal for Doncic's drive-and-kick style play and further enhances his assist chances. Doncic also has one of the highest usage rates in the NBA.
James Harden
James Harden led the league in terms of assists two seasons ago and finished fourth in the league's leading assist category last season, averaging 8.5 apg.
Having let Paul George walk in free agency and Kawhi Leonard's injury history, the Los Angeles Clippers will now heavily rely on Harden as his offensive workload will also increase.
During his final season with the Philadelphia 76ers, he averaged 93.5 touches per game and led the league in assists. However, Harden has seen a dip in his offensive gameplay but remains one of the most effective creators.
Tyrese Haliburton
Tyrese Haliburton is once again leading the charts to win the top assists award for the upcoming season. Last season, he averaged 11.0 apg and led the Indiana Pacers deep into the playoffs.
He is known to be a star player for his franchise. He was previously criticised for his scoring ability but he has embraced his role as the table setter for his team's offence.
Haliburton excels in both half-court and transition play. He is well-positioned to maintain and even improve his assist total this season.
