The Best NBA Passer at Every Position

The Golden State Warriors are no longer the prohibitive favorites to win the NBA title every season, but their style of play remains prevalent throughout the league.

One key to their recent dynasty was having multiple capable passers.

Other teams followed suit and had success with a variety of ball-handlers, be it last year's Toronto Raptors with Kyle Lowry, Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam or the Cleveland Cavaliers of old with Kyrie Irving and LeBron James.

When a team touts competent distributors at several different positions, it can unlock previously unforeseen dimensions of an offense.

Let's take a look at the NBA's premier passers by position.

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Assistant Coach of Team USA and Golden State Warriors head coach, Steve Kerr, joins The Full 48 with Howard Beck to discuss Team USA’s World Cup play, learning from Gregg Popovich, Klay Thompson’s injury, MVP Steph Curry, D’Angelo Russell, KD, the Warriors elite defense, developing young players, and the team’s strategy for the coming season.

Point Guard: Russell Westbrook, Houston Rockets

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Russell Westbrook's stats have been inflated to some extent over the past few seasons because of his unabashed chasing of triple-doubles. But at a certain point, those stats are so far superior to the rest of his competition that you can't deny his incredible skill.

Take last year, for instance. Westbrook topped the assists leaderboard by two dimes per game, and he also comfortably outpaced the competition in assists per 36 minutes and per 100 possessions.

But Russ doesn't just put up numbers—he does so with flair and attitude. He might not process the floor as well as some of his peers, but he can deliver a no-look pass as well as anyone and is often remarkably in control for someone who seems perpetually reckless on the court. 

Westbrook and James Harden will likely take time to acclimate to one another this season, and their stats figure to dip as a result. But Westbrook's playing style remains the same, and we should still expect to see plenty of lobs to Clint Capela and flashes of brilliant ball movement between the two former MVPs. 

Silver Medal: Chris Paul, Oklahoma City Thunder

Bronze Medal: Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks

Next Man Up: Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers

Shooting Guard: James Harden, Houston Rockets

Eric Gay/Associated Press

James Harden is one of the best isolation scorers in NBA history, yet he also ranks among the league's top distributors. 

Harden usually requires the attention of multiple defenders at once, which means he can often pass to center Clint Capela for an alley-oop or to wide-open teammates patrolling the three-point arc. As such, the Beard has averaged 7.7 assists per game during his seven years with the Rockets.

That assist figure may decline this season with Westbrook now alongside him, but Houston still has enough offensive weapons to take advantage of Harden's ability to find his teammates at will. 

The complaint that "there's only one ball" may become prevalent in Houston this season, but Harden plays such a winning-friendly brand of basketball that those questions could seem irrelevant in due time.

Silver Medal: Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks

Bronze Medal: Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns

Next Man Up: DeMar DeRozan, San Antonio Spurs 

Small Forward: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

LeBron James might finish his career with the most points in NBA history, yet scoring isn't even his greatest skill. 

The King is already 10th all-time in total assists—for reference, the next non-point guard on the list is Kobe Bryant, who ranks 31st—and he could jump up as high as seventh this season if he stays healthy. 

LeBron is a basketball savant who sees the floor in a way most of us can't comprehend. How many guys would ever think to do something like this, let alone in an NBA Finals game?

LeBron's passing acumen will likely come under renewed scrutiny this season, as the Lakers reportedly plan to start him at point guard, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. Although head coach Frank Vogel quickly downplayed that report, he did say James would be a primary ball-handler.

For all of LeBron's countless accomplishments throughout his career, he has always started alongside a nominal point guard. If the Lakers commit to Point LeBron, the potential is limitless.

Silver Medal: Justise Winslow, Miami Heat

Bronze Medal: Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks

Next Man Up: Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat

Power Forward: Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors

Craig Mitchelldyer/Associated Press

With the recent surge of point forwards, it's difficult to crown a top passer at power forward. However, Draymond Green has been a consistently effective secondary distributor throughout his career.

Green has been a full-time starter in Golden State for five seasons, and he has averaged more than 6.9 assists per game in each of the last four. However, he is not the flashy dime-dropper that many high-assist players are. 

The San Francisco Chronicle's Ron Kroichick put it well earlier this year:

"[Stephen] Curry, [Klay] Thompson and [Kevin] Durant command headlines for their wondrous shooting—which often becomes possible because of Green's passing skills. He offers an almost unprecedented package, playing power forward (or center) while essentially running the offense. Curry handles the ball like a traditional point guard, but Green routinely reads the play, spots teammates before they become open and delivers passes at the right time and in the right spot."

Green has often been at his best as a secondary distributor for the Warriors, facilitating from the high and mid-post as opposed to running plays in the half court. But with Durant having left in free agency and Thompson recovering from an ACL tear, Golden State may need him to assume more responsibility as a primary playmaker alongside Curry this season.

Green's success in filling that role may determine how far the Warriors can go in the playoffs. 

Silver Medal: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Bronze Medal: Blake Griffin, Detroit Pistons

Next Man Up: Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers

Center: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

Bart Young/Getty Images

When Stephen Curry effortlessly drains a 30-footer or LeBron James dunks all over an opponent, we can understand the process and set of skills required to execute such a play.

Nikola Jokic does not fit that mold. 

Jokic has played four seasons in the NBA, but it's still hard to comprehend his rise to superstardom. He runs ploddingly and often seems to get winded before anyone else, but he's a top-tier shot-creator and offensive conductor for one of the best teams in the league. 

Jokic's otherworldly court vision fuels his success. His height enables him to see over defenders, but if that were the only prerequisite to being an exceptional passer, then every forward and center would be one.

Not even 10 years ago, the sight of a doughy Serbian big man throwing baseball passes on the fast break or no-look darts to teammates would have been unthinkable. That's now the foundation of an elite NBA offense. 

Silver Medal: Al Horford, Philadelphia 76ers

Bronze Medal: Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic

Next Man Up: Marc Gasol, Toronto Raptors

Unless otherwise indicated, all stats courtesy of ESPN.com and Basketball Reference.