The Los Angeles Lakers franchise has two of its players in the top five of the all-time assists leaders list. Franchise legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson stands at the fourth position with 10,141 total assists, but right on his neck is the one of the newest Lakers, Steve Nash.
Nash was acquired this summer from the Phoenix Suns and the future Hall-of-Fame point guard is 226 assists away from claiming sole possession of fourth place on the all-time list. Nash is coming into the season with 9,916 total dimes and he will most likely finish the 2012-13 season ahead of the legendary Lakers point guard.
Steve Nash needs 226 assists to pass Magic for 4th on the all-time assists list.
— chris palmer (@ESPNChrisPalmer) October 2, 2012
Last season with the Phoenix Suns, Nash dished out a total of 664 assists with an average of 10.7 per game. The year before that, Nash averaged 11.4 assists per game and totaled 855 assists.
Even at the age of 38, Nash is still one of the best point guards in the league today. He has a uncanny knack of finding his teammates open looks and he makes everyone around him better. This upcoming season, Nash will have lethal weapons on the court with him and one can expect that his assists totals will rise.
Steve Nash will have Kobe Bryant to pass to on the perimeter and two dynamic big men in Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard as targets in the paint. Nash almost single-handedly took the mediocre Suns to the playoffs in 2012, so just imagine what he can do with this Lakers team.