Ti’s Four-Point Play: The Season Of Giving In The NBA

Hey there! Welcome to Ti’s Four-Point Play. Each week I’ll be going over four NBA topics that catch my interest, always related via one common thread. Since this issue of T4PP comes out smack dab in the middle of the holiday season, I decided it needed a holiday theme.

True pass-first point guards are underrated in today’s NBA. Guys like Russell Westbrook and Stephen Curry get all the hype, and there’s no denying their greatness. But to commemorate the season of giving, this issue of Ti’s Four-Point Play is all about the point guards who do more giving than receiving.

Of course Westbrook, Curry, and Chris Paul all rack up tons of assists. But they shoot and score quite a bit too. That’s obviously not a bad thing for their teams — no Warriors fans want their MVP to shy away from big shots.

But for the purposes of this piece we’re only going to look at point guards that are truly unselfish — ones that take 12 or less shots and still manage at least six assists per game. Because most of the time, these floor generals go largely unheralded.

That’s about to change. There are lots of different ways to play at every position in the NBA, and point guard is no exception. There’s nothing inherently wrong about a pass-first or a scoring point guard, they’re just different styles used to work towards accomplishing the same goal–winning basketball games.

First up is the guard shooting the most while still falling into the parameters listed above. From there, we’ll work towards getting to the most selfless lead guard in the NBA.

Jarrett Jack – Averaging 7.3 assists and 11.5 shots per game

Well, this is a bit of a surprise. Jarrett Jack certainly isn’t known around the NBA for being a selfless point guard, but maybe he’s feeling the Christmas spirit extra hard this season. If he keeps up those numbers, this will be just the second season Jack has averaged six or more assists per game.

Although some of his shooting numbers have taken a bit of a dip, the Brooklyn Nets can’t be unhappy with what they’re getting from Jack this season. He’s averaging almost three full assists per game more than his career average at the moment.

That’s just smart basketball on Jack’s part. Having dangerous scorers like Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young means there’s no reason for Jack to take too much of the offensive burden on himself, so he hasn’t. He’s been a willing passer instead, which has a lot to do with why the Nets are just a bit better than many expected them to be this season.

In this particular highlights video Jack does take quite a few shots, but his passing touch is definitely on display as well. Jack is using his reputation as a dangerous scorer to his advantage, and forcing defenses to pay attention to him before hitting an open teammate across the court.

That awareness has been working well for Jack all season. This is only the second season for Jack where he’s averaged less than 18 attempted field goals per 100 possessions. In 2014 (the other time that happened) Jack merely had a reduced role and usage percentage across the board.

That’s not at all the case this season. Jack is averaging career-best rebounding and assisting numbers per 100 possessions, and is scoring just around his career average. His usage percentage is up again this season, he’s just using those possessions to set up teammates instead of himself all the time.

Jarrett Jack, surprisingly enough, is embodying the season of giving in the NBA this season.

Rajon Rondo – Averaging 11.3 assists and 11.5 shots per game

Rajon Rondo’s spot here is a lot less surprising. Rondo has been one of the most giving point guards since he entered the association, and met the parameters for making this list in all of his seasons as a full-time starter except for 2013, when Rondo took just over 12 shots per game. In typical Rondo fashion, he also led the association in assists that season.

He’s currently doing that again this year, so although he and Jack are somehow both averaging exactly 11.5 attempted field goals per game, Rondo gets the edge thanks to his higher assist numbers. It’s almost hard to get excited about him, just because this kind of passing display has become the rule for Rondo, not the exception.

Rondo has only had one NBA season where he averaged less than six assists per 36 minutes–his rookie year. Since then, he’s averaged 10 or more assists per 36 more often than he hasn’t. Like him or not, there’s no denying that Rondo can dish the rock better than almost anyone.

Rondo’s highlight videos contain some of the most crisp passes you’ll ever see. He doesn’t just tally up assists by tossing lobs or hitting open shooters, like some point guards have been known to do.

Rajon Rondo cuts through defenses like a master surgeon, constantly probing for weak points and taking advantage of any tiny lapse in concentration on the defensive end with an immediate, precise pass.

In the past, Rondo might have topped this list. But this season his shot has been a lot more reliable, especially from three-point range, and thus Rondo has been shooting more. It’s worked for him this season in most regards, but it brought him down in this issue of Ti’s Four-Point Play. I’m sure he’s crushed.

Elfrid Payton – Averaging 6.3 assists and 11.4 shots per game

Elfrid Payton snuck into the second spot on this list by a hair. That’s fitting, considering Payton’s incredible hairdo. But seriously, 0.1 more field goal attempts per game would’ve left him in fourth — tied with Rondo and Jack for shots attempted per game, with less assists.

But close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. The fact is that Payton is shooting less than those two, and having himself a nice season in the process. He’s averaging just 2.4 turnovers per game to go with those 6.3 assists — a great ratio for such a young lead guard.

Payton’s been a pure passer since he came into the NBA. He averaged 6.5 assists per game as opposed to just 8.6 shot attempts in his rookie season. That would put him firmly in second place this season, but even those selfless numbers aren’t enough to surpass the most giving point guard this season.

Payton’s passing is more impressive than somebody like Jack’s, because defenses have no reason to fear Elfrid Payton’s shot. His 42 percent shooting from the field isn’t terrible, but his 28 percent from beyond the arc is. It’s impressive that Payton can rack up assists despite not having an outside game to rely on.

Payton’s selflessness has been a factor in the surprisingly good Orlando Magic being 17-13 this season. He keeps the team rolling with timely passes and so few mistakes from the point guard position, and his teammates probably appreciate that just as much as the points Payton gift-wraps them.

Payton is the youngest lead guard featured in this article, and it will be exciting to see what he can do as he enters his prime. Will he remain this selfless, or develop a shot and start to use it more? It’s impossible to tell at the moment, but either way it seems like Elfrid Payton is going to be an effective point guard for a long time in the NBA.

Ricky Rubio – Averaging 8.6 assists and 8.0 shots per game

Ricky Rubio is basically Santa Claus. Rubio is the only point guard to average more assists than shots per game and has at least three assists per game. He’s truly selfless–that much cannot be denied.

Sure, a cynic could say that Rubio shoots so little because he has — by far — the worst field goal percentage and three-point percentage of all four lead guards featured here. That’s true, and it does make a lot of a sense regarding Rubio’s giving spirit.

But there are a lot of players that shoot a lot despite not making their shots. Would Rubio continue to be so selfless if he made 40 percent of his field goals and 30 percent of his long-range attempts? Maybe not. But regardless of the circumstances, Rubio has been more about his teammates than himself all season, and he deserves credit for that.

It’s readily apparent from this highlight reel that Rubio has that Rondo-esque ability to dissect defenses. He’s great at slinging passes through thin lanes to hit another Timberwolf driving towards the rim, and he does it often. That’s not all he does, though.

Rubio was one point and two steals away from a quadruple-double in that video. Although it wasn’t one of the criteria for making this list, it’s extra impressive that Rubio can contribute all over the court in that sense. He did get a rare assists/rebounds double-double in that game, proving Rubio is all about the team.

More hoops habit: NBA Christmas: A Gift For Every Team's Wish List

Although many Timberwolves fans may wish he did have a serviceable jumper, Ricky Rubio is clearly doing just fine without one. His selfless nature perfectly reflects the true spirit of the Christmas season–it’s better to give than to receive.