Isiah Thomas takes up four of the top five spots in Pistons’ history for single season assists per game.
The Pistons have seen some players produce stellar assists production during their franchise’s history. In particular, Isiah Thomas dominated the category. Let’s highlight the top five leaders in assists per game for a single season in Pistons’ franchise history.
Isiah Thomas, 1984-85, 13.9 APG
The Pistons selected Thomas with the second pick in the 1981 Draft. He made the All-Star team during his rookie campaign, averaging 17.0 points, 7.8 assists and 2.1 steals per game. In 1984-85, he led the NBA by averaging 13.9 assists per game. He also averaged 21.2 points and 2.3 steals per game that season, which helped him be named All-NBA First Team and finish ninth in MVP voting.
Kevin Porter, 1978-79, 13.4 APG
Porter led the NBA by averaging 8.0 assists per game with the Washington Bullets in 1974-75. He also led the NBA by averaging 10.2 assists per game in 1977-78. That season, he played eight games with the Pistons before being traded to the Nets. The Pistons then reacquired Porter prior to the 1978-79 season. He once again led the league in assists with 13.4 of them per game. Porter returned to the Bullets the following season before leading the league in assists again in 1980-81 with 9.1 of them per game. Over 190 career regular season games with the Pistons, Porter averaged 11.9 points and 10.1 assists.
Isiah Thomas, 1983-84, 11.1 APG
The 1983-84 season began a stretch of four straight seasons in which Thomas averaged at least 10.0 assists per game. Along with his 11.1 assists per game, Thomas averaged 21.3 points and 2.5 steals. He finished fifth in MVP voting that season, which would end up being his highest finish in that award for his career. The 1983-84 season was also the first time that he was named All-NBA First Team.
Isiah Thomas, 1985-86, 10.8 APG
After Thomas led the league in assists in 1984-85, he chipped in 10.8 assists per game the following season. He appeared in 77 games, also averaging 20.9 points and 2.2 steals. It was the most efficient season of his career with him shooting 48.8% from the field.
Isiah Thomas, 1986-87, 10.0 APG
Thomas played 81 games for the Pistons in 1986-87, averaging 10.0 assists along the way. He also averaged 20.6 points and 1.9 steals on his way to finishing eighth in MVP voting. That would end up being the final season of his career in which Thomas averaged at least 10.0 assists per game. Thomas spent his entire career with the Pistons and won two championships with the team. In the regular season, he averaged 19.2 points, 9.3 assists and 1.9 steals per game. Across 111 playoff games, he averaged 20.4 points, 8.9 assists and 2.1 steals. He was named Finals MVP in 1990.
