We don’t understand passing or assists
Samson Folk dives deep into a topic that has been intriguing him for years: passing.
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#raptors #nba #nbabasketball
35 Comments
this guy has no clue what he’s talking about… but like/subscribe/comment anyway…
What is this guy talking about? #liked #subscribed #commented
Very good analysis. Idea is not getting too caught up in the idea of something to the point where forget about context and nuance.
samson cooking as per usual
Nah we just don’t like paying 40M+ a season if that’s all you can do..
The ball needs to go in the basket at the end of the day.
Passing is the LEAST efficient way of getting to the basket… pass only when necessary and find the MOST efficient way to the basket…. The object of the game is to score more than ur opponent… that simple… efficiency on offense and disruptive on defense… 🎉
😂why are you the ONLY one who figures this out? Brilliant work!
Stop underrating Scottie Barnes, this channel constantly underrates Scottie smh
Wow, do I ever have egg on my face for asking for a Scottie APG estimate on the livestream a few weeks ago lolol. But I really appreciate your thoughts here, and specifically the idea that assists per game "can really just be an expression of usage." Scottie had the second-highest usage last year and I'm curious to see where this goes for sure. And since you've specifically written about him being such a high-value assist guy in the past, I'm hopeful the rise in surrounding talent yields both some highlight assists and allows the threat of his passing to open up some of those bruising buckets he was scoring when defenders had to think about Pascal alongside him.
I think passing and assists are underrated
A pass is as much an opportunity for a turnover as it is a bucket
assists in the NBa to me are a somewhat equivalent to RBIs in baseball. Very reliant on team factors, in baseball you wont get many RBIs if the team doesnt put runners in scoring position
Raw assist totals are like raw points per game — they miss context. Live-dribble rim pressure is the engine, assists are just the exhaust. Some are real creation, others just paperwork
For the Raptors, assists are no longer the headline stat — leverage creation is.
Barnes’ development hinges less on piling up dimes and more on consistently bending defenses with rim pressure and counters. Ingram’s arrival directly addresses last year’s “empty passing” problem by giving Toronto a true tough-shot maker who collapses coverage and generates high-value assists.
Quickley, RJ, and Gradey will be judged not by raw assist totals but by how well they punish tilted defenses with quick scoring or decisive reads. For roster moves, the front office should prioritize players who can create paint touches, finish efficiently, or connect the offense at pace — not just rack up passes.
Darko’s challenge is to move from “pass-to-pass” aesthetics to actions that force rotations early. The result: Toronto may actually post fewer assists, but the offense will be far more dangerous and efficient.
“some guys do more with less” reminds me of Chris Bosh style of play, but it was kinda boring to watch. Too much passing leads to more chance of error obv.
You know this discussion technically opens the door to debate if Steve Nash's assists where personal talent, or a result of the D'Antoni offensive system.
What a roundabout way to say you dont like darko's emphasis on passing and assists
Comment for the algorithm
I don’t think passing and assists are overrated, but I do think they can’t make up for an inability to shoot.
Talent matters when determining assists. If SB has better talent around him those assist numbers will not only be up but so would the team's win total. Of course not all assists are equal but if he has guys around him that are solid to good offensive players it will help his gm as he improve his on ball creation.
If Haliburton did not have that talent around him, his assist wouldn't mean a thing.They also play fast, it is not like these assists are created in the half court. Give SB that talent & he could do that as well. Yes he doesn't shoot the 3 as well but he offers more from the mid range & would be very good in the post & at the rim. And this is not even looking at the other side of the ball (defense).
You're definitely right, but I don't think assists are any more overrated than PPG or RPG. What you're pointing to overall is how bad basic stats are at quanitfying player talent/ability and that's a serious issue in the basketball space
Depends on the players
This was a really intresting analysis that i never thought about but hearing it explained I agree. I’d love to hear a video breaking down the best players at getting those high quality assists. Obviously the well known guys like Hali Trae luka Jokic but more the guys who’s numbers don’t jump out as much but are better playmakers then others who do
Passing creates threats that otherwise would not exist. I don't really see the point here lol. Quality of assists? sure. Are assists overrated? I personally think we talk more about having an isolation "bag", so I would say no, and would even argue that it isn't valued enough. Stagnant/lack of ball movement is not the move anyways, imo.
(Lol well i made this comment at the 10 minute mark before you make my point 😅) I get you're making a point but you're falling into some hyperboles here no? Can't Intelligent passing be a powerful way to overcome a lack of creation to produce a lot of high quality shots? Something the raptors offense suceeded in doing no? Wasn't among the biggest problems that they simply lacked the talent/consistency to make those shots? Perhaps the reason many struggling teams pass a lot is you've gotta try to bend the defense so if you can't do it with a live dribble you sling the ball around a cut a bunch? Seems effective enough to suceed more, if not truly be a contender at the highest level.
Drop the outtakes. 😂
You’ve worn this one for a while.
If someone has low enough assist number it can be a somewhat meaningful indicator of lack of vision or passing/playmaking prowess. Ie. Mathurin, Kuminga, GTJ etc.
Your analyzing the season without context. This doesnt prove that the method doesnt work because they purposely tanked. But they obviously agree to a degree because they got Ingram.
movement and passing is absolutely able to bend defences (celtics with their swing swing till you find the opne three), the question is, how often do you wanna see the ball out of your best guys hands. So i guess assists don't really mean much when you have a high usg guy running into the defender and picking up the ball everytime and 4/10 finds a teammate who just about makes the shot, usually then also closer to the rim. If you have a team, on the other hand, with a high assist ratio (and a hopefully somewhat lower turnover ratio), where not just one guy stands out with their assists (hali aint the only guy on the pacers who can pass the brick, he's is just exceptional at it), then assists to get a bigger meaning because, like you said, they will do the job of the dribble penetration. More turnover prone against high defenses? sure, maybe. But the looks usually get better. The real problem or question here is, how good are you roleplayers? How good is you gameplan and offensive layout? And how well do the players suit that layout? And i truly think that the raptors are on a good path here.. long arms, high vantage points (so to speak with vision 6,9) of tall guys able to see over defenses and guys who can really pass it. Look at the last years, all these guys can really pass it. And obvsly passing needs team chemistry, everybody has to click, no matter what lineup you're running. It is harder to achive, but it is also so much harder to defend. in my humble opinion anyway hehe
Bottom line, superstars win championships. Teams that pass a lot are doing that because they dont have those dominant scorers.
Very thoughtful Sampson!
Lmao. The pacers glaze is never ending.
Quality
0:14 ah yes, the LeBron assist