Could Josh Giddey Finish Top Ten in Assists This Season?

At this point, it’s no secret that Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey is one of the most gifted passers in the NBA. As a 19-year-old rookie last season, he finished top 25 in the NBA in assists with 6.4 per game.

Entering year two, he’ll have a real shot at being a top-ten assist generator. How many per contest would he need to produce?

Last season the number was 7.5 per game to be in the top ten. That’s just over one more assist per contest than Giddey had last season. He produced nine games with double digit assist numbers and 19 with eight or more out of 54 total contests played. The Australian also broke the record for youngest player with a triple-double in NBA history.

Thunder rookie PG Josh Giddey with some absolutely surgical deliveries during his 28-point, 12-assist, 11-rebound performance in an OT win over the Knicks in MSG. Already an elite off the dribble passer. Accuracy on his corner hits is high level. So patient in the pocket. pic.twitter.com/1yewBEYimm
— Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) February 15, 2022

Although he won’t have Chet Holmgren to pass to this season, there’s still a good chance he does improve enough to crack the top ten. He’ll hopefully be playing alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a lot more this season and quite a few returning players should be improved.

With a full year of experience now under his belt, Giddey will look to take his game to a whole new level. If he’s able to be a top-ten passer in the league at 20 years old, it will only further prove he’s a cornerstone piece of this Thunder roster.

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