Josh Giddey On Pace to Break Russell Westbrook’s 14-Year-Old Franchise Record

In just his second season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Josh Giddey is already on track to set a new franchise record.

What comes to mind when you think of the number 23? Of course six-time NBA champion, Michael Jordan, pops into your head immediately. But did you know that 23 is also the same number of seasons where a player 20 years old or younger has totaled 370 assists or more, Playoffs excluded?

That’s a surprising statistic, right? Across 82 games, that breaks down to about 4.51 assists per contest which doesn’t seem like some crazy high bar. But nonetheless, it paints a picture of how difficult it is to enter the league and consistently find success passing the rock.

The list is quite impressive, too. It includes a bunch of obvious players you would think of if you were trying to guess who might be on it: LeBron James, Chris Paul, Magic Johnson, Isaiah Thomas, etc. And those that watched the NBA in the late 90s or early 2000s won’t be surprised to see Stephon Marbury and Tony Parker make the list.

Several relative newcomers also show up. Luka Doncic pulled it off in his rookie season, totaling 429 assists. Ja Morant found a whopping 488 dimes in his first year, too. Trae Young racked up an incredible 653 assists in his first season with the Atlanta Hawks. And the Ball brothers, LaMelo and Lonzo, each made it, as well.

And then there is the newest addition, Oklahoma City Thunder’s own Josh Giddey, a 6-foot-8 point-forward playing in just his second season in the NBA.

“The first thing that stands out with Josh Giddey is his passing, and it's not just the way he passes. It's how he passes." - JJ Redick

(🎥 via: @jj_redick, @OldManAndThree & @jga41agher. full video link below.) pic.twitter.com/L6SIqSJOa2

— Thunder Film Room (@ThunderFilmRoom) July 20, 2022

In his 61 games, the long-haired playmaker has already totaled 379 assists this season. If the 2022-23 season were to end today, he would finish 21st, just two spots from the bottom of the list, just ahead of Tyreke Evans and Lonzo Ball.

But Giddey has 16 games left to play in the regular season and if he stays on his current trajectory and averages his current rate of 6.2 assists per contest, he would end the season with 468 assists, catapulting him to 16th and just two assists shy of overtaking the 15th spot on the list held by Brandon Jennings.

If Giddey hits that number, he would hold the new record for most assists in a season by a Thunder player 20 years or younger. But for now that title still belongs to Russell Westbrook who recorded an impressive 435 assists as a rookie in 2008-09 while starting just 65 of his 82 games.

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