Oh, for the days of Brevin Knight. The Stanford product was a master of the 7-point, 10-assist box score -- a selfless passer who absolutely could not score at a decent rate at the NBA level. Some lesser guards would keep trying to score regardless; Knight knew his limitations, acknowledged them and did what he knew best: pass the rock. Twice in his career he averaged more assists than points per game for a season.
The B-List: Introducing The Brevin Knight Society
All hail the point guards who rack up assists and don’t score.
But did you know there have been a number of point guards more Brevin Knight than even Brevin Knight? It is with that knowledge we present to you the inaugural class of the Brevin Knight Society, a club for bucketless point guards.
Since 1985-86 via basketball-reference.com, your leaders in number of games with 10 or more assists and fewer than 10 points:
1. Mark Jackson (169)
2. Jason Kidd (167)
3. John Stockton (148)
4. Muggsy Bogues (136)
5. Nate McMillan (103)
6. Steve Nash (72)
7. Rajon Rondo (69)
8. (tie) Avery Johnson, Brevin Knight and Andre Miller (60)
Well hello, Mark Jackson. Rondo is the gainer on this list; he’s approximately 22 years younger than the also active Steve Nash and Andre Miller, but he places so high he could take this thing over by the end of his career. (Unless the Struggle C’s of the next couple years force him to take 20 shots per game.)
Not all Brevin Knights are beloved, though. Take a look at the 10-assist, less-than-10-points leaders from last season.
1. Rajon Rondo (8)
2. (tie) Jose Calderon and Greivis Vasquez (6)
4. Kyle Lowry (5)
5. (tie) Jrue Holiday, Andre Miller, Chris Paul and Jamaal Tinsley (4)
9. (tie) Kendall Marshall and Ricky Rubio (3)
Kendall Marshall! Step aside, Rondo.
Some of the players listed above are more bad scorers than unwilling shooters. Who holds the record (since 1985, anyways) for most assists without a field goal attempt? Jacque Vaughn!, who in 2006 had 13 assists, one turnover and absolutely no shots (or even free throw attempts) for the Nets in a loss to the Sixers. The next three names on the list are Nate McMillan, who twice had 12 assists and zero FGAs, and had one with 10 assists. Three others have pulled off 10 assists and zero FGAs since 1985-86: Bobby Sura, Tinsley and -- in a stroke of amazing serendipity -- a rookie Boris Diaw. (We will need to write about that performance -- 10 assists, zero FGAs, one turnover, five fouls [!] -- at some point.)
Last year’s best Jacque Vaughn was the great Earl Watson, who turned in an 8-assist, zero-FGA performance for the Jazz. He just trying to balance out the Al Jefferson Effect.
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