How Do You Define An Assist?

[PhoSita]

Watching video of Jokic's trip dub last night has me asking this question: what is really an assist and what isn't?

On some of these passes, the guy who gets the ball will take multiple dribbles, even do a move to create space before taking a shot.

That doesn't seem like an assist to me.  And this was on the road!  Not like it was home cooking.


To me, a player should get an assist if they basically did the work of creating and / or seeing an open passing lane and they found a guy who was in a position to score either right away or after one or two steps.  The player receiving the assist shouldn't have to make any moves or adjustments, just take the shot or move toward the hoop and put the ball in.  Otherwise, the assisting player isn't really creating that basket, are they?  They're just keeping the ball moving.

Put it more succinctly -- an assist is a pass to an open player who takes advantage of their openness to score very soon after getting the ball.

[Celtics4ever]

I always thought an assist was pass that led to a score with the person taking less than two dribbles to do so.

[Big333223]

I always thought an assist was pass that led to a score with the person taking less than two dribbles to do so.

I think that's right. I think what Pho is asking is: does that make sense?

If a player receives a pass, sizes up the defense, pump fakes, takes two dribbles to the basket and then lays it in, should that really be an assist?

I agree that what I sometimes see recorded as assists make me shake my head. 

[Monkhouse]

I always thought an assist was pass that led to a score with the person taking less than two dribbles to do so.

I think that's right. I think what Pho is asking is: does that make sense?

If a player receives a pass, sizes up the defense, pump fakes, takes two dribbles to the basket and then lays it in, should that really be an assist?

I agree that what I sometimes see recorded as assists make me shake my head.

I agree, there are times in the NBA where sometimes players get assists even when they take more than 2 dribbles. I guess they interpret it as someone in the action of scoring while given a complete pass.

[liam]

Watching video of Jokic's trip dub last night has me asking this question: what is really an assist and what isn't?

On some of these passes, the guy who gets the ball will take multiple dribbles, even do a move to create space before taking a shot.

That doesn't seem like an assist to me.  And this was on the road!  Not like it was home cooking.


To me, a player should get an assist if they basically did the work of creating and / or seeing an open passing lane and they found a guy who was in a position to score either right away or after one or two steps.  The player receiving the assist shouldn't have to make any moves or adjustments, just take the shot or move toward the hoop and put the ball in.  Otherwise, the assisting player isn't really creating that basket, are they?  They're just keeping the ball moving.

Put it more succinctly -- an assist is a pass to an open player who takes advantage of their openness to score very soon after getting the ball.

The assist has gotten more and more liberal in it's counting over the years....

[Csfan1984]

Some passes some one scores.

[SHAQATTACK]

helping an old lady across the street

[PhoSita]

I always thought an assist was pass that led to a score with the person taking less than two dribbles to do so.

I think that's right. I think what Pho is asking is: does that make sense?

If a player receives a pass, sizes up the defense, pump fakes, takes two dribbles to the basket and then lays it in, should that really be an assist?

I agree that what I sometimes see recorded as assists make me shake my head.

Yes -- essentially, if the player to whom you pass the ball has to do work on their own to create an opening for a shot, did you really assist them?  What did you do to help create that basket?

I suspect a lot of point guards back in the day got assists by dumping it into a big man who would do a collection of post moves and then score.   Is that really an assist, though?