Can the Thunder's Josh Giddey Lead the NBA in Assists?

Josh Giddey is one of the most talented passers in the league, and next season his quantity could catch up to his quality.

The Oklahoma City Thunder drafted Giddey sixth overall in 2021 and paired him with star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the backcourt. The dynamic of having a score-first guard next to a pass-first guard has paid off.

In his first two seasons in the league, Giddey averaged just over six assists. But with the Thunder boasting more scoring options than in years past, Giddey has an opportunity to raise that assist number dramatically.

Gilgeous-Alexander is OKC’s top option offensively, but he relies on isolation for many of his buckets. On the other hand, getting a new pick-and-roll partner in Chet Holmgren will help Giddey’s playmaking shine brightest.

Although it may seem counterintuitive initially, Giddey’s improved play as a scorer could be his best asset for upgrading his assists total. The Australian guard has steadily improved as a shooter, causing defenders to guard him tighter on the perimeter.

Combine that with Giddey’s driving game, which continues to look better and more confident, and his passing becomes more valuable than ever. Drawing defenders in will allow Giddey to find open shooters and, ideally, Holmgren and others waiting in the dunker spot.

Last season, Giddey finished 19th in assists per game at 6.2. He will need to heighten his aggression next season if he wants to lead the league in that category.

After averaging only 11.6 potential assists, Giddey would have needed virtually every shot taken off of his passes to go in to beat James Harden’s league-leading 10.7 assists. For reference, Harden was third in the league in potential assists at 17.1.

While getting his potential assists up to that number may be difficult, his teammates could help him in other ways. Last season, OKC finished second in shots attempted within five feet. But it placed last in converting those shots by making only 59.9% of them.

Once again, that’s a problem Holmgren can help with. At Gonzaga, Holmgren shot 73% from inside the arc. With someone who can finish at that rate, Giddey can create easy opportunities inside.

Better yet, Holmgren’s finishing ability will draw in more defenders from outside. As long as Giddey gets past his man, help defenders must choose whether to leave their man on the perimeter or allow Giddey to drive down the lane with a two-on-one setup.

Ultimately, Giddey’s shot at leading the league in assists may come down to his usage. Gilgeous-Alexander can safely take the highest usage on the team following a first-team All-NBA campaign. But who takes the title of second option?

Giddey makes a good case, but Jalen Williams will also be competing for that role. Williams’s play and confidence rose as the season progressed, and there is reason to believe he will continue that trend into next season.

The good news for Giddey is that Williams can play effectively regardless of whether he has the ball. Last season, Williams was assisted on just over half of his field goals. However, n games after the all-star break, that percentage dropped to 41.3.

Still, Giddey will likely enter training camp as the second lead ball handler next to Gilgeous-Alexander. He is the team’s point guard, after all. But only time will tell if that will be enough to raise his assist numbers to the top of the league.

Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.

Add us as a preferred source on Google