Giannis has grown tremendously as a playmaker, but I still don’t think he can consistently average over seven assists per game across a season. The main reason is that many of his assists depend heavily on his teammates hitting their threes. The Bucks don’t really have reliable play-finishers or elite cutters who can capitalize on Giannis’ drives and passing angles inside.
In contrast, someone like Jokic benefits from teammates who are exceptional finishers. Aaron Gordon is one of the best dunkers in NBA history, Christian Braun thrives in transition with high efficiency, and Jamal Murray is an excellent finisher around the rim. Rim finishing is inherently more efficient than jump shooting, and for playmakers, just look at Trae Young’s assist patterns, having teammates who can finish plays at the rim tends to result in higher assist numbers.
My point isn’t to make a Giannis vs. Jokic debate, but rather to emphasize that assist stats and triple-doubles don’t exist in a vacuum. The context of a player’s teammates and the types of shots they create for them matter significantly when evaluating playmaking output.
That’s why I’m so impatiently waiting for KPJ to come back from injury. He’s ruthless attacking the rim, and that kind of pressure could open up easier assist opportunities for Giannis. If you remember, during that 10–15 game stretch last season when Dame was out, Giannis was essentially averaging a triple-double. So maybe there’s still a chance his assist numbers spike once KPJ returns, and if that happens, his MVP stock could skyrocket.
6 comments
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Ehh elite cutters wouldn’t be as effective for Giannis as it they are for Jokic because of the difference in there play styles.
If he’s going to continue to be in the mix for both scoring & rebounding titles, a career high in assists is more than fine
Also he’s second in the league in three-point assists despite us only putting up the 12th most attempts as a team
Ever notice how guys like Dante and Grayson Allen go on to become prolific 3pt shooters on other teams but were just ok here? It’s because catching and shooting IN RHYTHM is important. I remember watching Giannis dribble for 12 seconds, make some attempt at the rim and then suddenly chuck it at a shooter’s ankles who’s been waiting at the 3pt line. It’s hard to catch and shoot that way. Same for cutting and moving off the ball, it all has to be done in rhythm. It can be fast, it can be slow, that doesn’t matter, you just need players on the same page.
If you watched Giannis playing with Greece this summer you might have seen how quickly he gives up the ball. He needs to pass it the second the double team/help comes, not 5 seconds later, it takes everyone else out of rhythm. And yes, he’s been much better about it this season, for sure. But if I were coaching I think I’d really have to work on when he needs to give up the ball quickly and when he needs to go ISO. There’s games where you feel like they’ve learned to move the ball, passing up a good shot for a better shot, etc but then the next game they regress.
*I just want to say, I’m MUCH happier with this team this year than I was the last couple. But that doesn’t mean they’re perfect.
It’s a small sample size and giannis played low minutes in one game (raptors) and put up 3 assists and that’s taking this number down. It would be over 7 otherwise. Which is why I was annoyed doc took him out of that game. We’re not just trying to win team games at this point, we’re also trying to help our generational player earn accolades
Are you trying to tell me jokic has had help all along? Now that’s not what the narrative says!! I thought he had no help so he gets glazed 24/7