Houston Rockets: Top 5 single season leaders in APG in franchise history

Lets take a look at the single season leaders in assists per game in Houston Rockets’ history.

The Houston Rockets have had a lot of great passers throughout the years.

Since the franchise started in San Diego back in 1967, many Rockets guards have dished out a ton of dimes.

Guys like James Harden, Steve Francis, Tracy McGrady and Calvin Murphy led their teams in assists during their tenure in Houston.

Lets find out who averaged the most single season assists in franchise history.

5. James Harden – 7.5

James Harden led the Rockets with 7.5 assists per game during the 2015-16 season. After making it to the Western Conference Finals in the previous year, the Rockets struggled out of the gate. They dropped 7 of their first 11 games which led to the firing of head coach Kevin McHale. The Rockets finished with a 41-41 record and lost in first-round of the playoffs to the Golden State Warriors.

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4. Sleepy Floyd – 8.6

Eric “Sleepy” Floyd averaged 8.6 assists per game in the 1988-89 season. Surely, his passing numbers benefitted from having Hakeem Olajuwon and Otis Thorpe down low. The team finished with a 45-37 record before losing to the Seattle SuperSonics 3-1 in the first-round of the playoffs.

3. John Lucas – 8.8

John Lucas averaged 8.8 assists over the course of the 1985-86 season. Like Sleepy Floyd, Lucas benefitted from having Hakeem Olajuwon and 7’4″ Ralph Sampson in the post. The 32-year-old Lucas helped lead Houston to a 51-31 record. The Rockets advanced all the way to the NBA Finals, where they lost to Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics in six games.

2. John Lucas – 9.4

During John Lucas’ first stint with the Rockets in the 1977-78 season, he averaged 9.4 assists a game. Despite featuring franchise greats like Moses Malone, Calvin Murphy and Rudy Tomjanovich, the team finished the season with a 28-54 record and failed to make the postseason.

1. James Harden – 11.2

James Harden led the Rockets and the league with 11.2 assists per game in the 2016-17 season. The Beard helped the Rockets win 55 game, finishing with the third best record in the NBA.  Houston would eventually fall to San Antonio in the second-round of the playoffs in six games. But James Harden had one of the best offensive seasons in NBA history, averaging 29.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 11.2 assists a game.

Next: Houston Rockets: Top 5 season leaders in PPG in franchise history