Duke Basketball Pro's Sustained Dominance in One Statistical Category

Former Duke basketball superstar Tyus Jones has claimed the NBA's best assist-to-turnover ratio six straight years.

Former Duke basketball guard Tyus Jones / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

After being named Most Outstanding Player while helping lead Duke basketball to its last national championship back in 2015, Tyus Jones opted to become a one-and-done player and take his game to the professional ranks.

He was selected No. 21 overall in the ensuing NBA Draft, beginning his career with his hometown Minnesota Timberwolves. Since then, Jones has played for both the Memphis Grizzlies and his current Washington Wizards while carving out a productive pro career.

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While casual fans may see the former Blue Devil superstar as just a serviceable backup guard or a low-level starter on a rebuilding team, Jones is actually among the elite in the league when it comes to taking care of the ball.

For the sixth straight season, the 27-year-old has sat atop the league in assist-to-turnover ratio, showcasing an elite ability to take care of the ball while also distributing to his teammates. Jones has led the league in a stretch that began in 2019 to present, with his ratio never dipping below 5.0 for the season. 

The Duke basketball social media team highlighted Jones’ accomplishment on Thursday, including a graphic showing the guard’s numbers for every season across his stretch run:

Our guy @1Tyus is so underrated #DukeintheNBA pic.twitter.com/mlGeMTIuHc

— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) May 9, 2024

As a full-time starter in his first year with the Wizards, Jones had the most successful season of his career, averaging career-highs with 12.0 points, 7.3 assists, and 2.4 rebounds. His 7.3 assist-to-turnover ratio was also a personal best, and he shot a career-high 41.4 percent from beyond the arc.

Younger brother and fellow Duke basketball product Tre Jones also finished near the top of the league in assist-to-turnover ratio, but the San Antonio Spurs guard has yet to knock off big bro while ending up in the top 10 for the third straight season. He was close in the 2021-22 season, though, coming in second but behind Tyus Jones by a wide margin.

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