Top APG players: https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2024_per_game.html#per_game_stats::ast_per_g
Jokic isn't surprising, but still a whole 1.3 APG below his numbers last year, but early days yet. The real story is Jamal Murray's massive improvement in playmaking the last 2 years. He went from averaging 4.8 APG for 3 straight years to 6.2 APG last year, to averaging 10 APG in the NBA Finals, and now up to 8.3 APG so far in this young season.
Murray has been commonly half-staggered with the bench unit the last 2 years, but it's been a revelation to have a true playmaker and shotmaker ready to get the bench going rather than just a tough shot maker when inevitably double-teamed because no one else could facilitate at a high level. It has opened up easier shots for himself, and seemingly given more confidence to the bench unit to play offball and make hard cuts to the basket knowing he'll find them.
The bench's massive improvement so far has landed them at the 3rd best bench rating in the league: https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced?StarterBench=Bench&dir=A&sort=NET_RATING
Once again, very early days, but still very promising from a team who had the 29th ranked bench last year and still managed the 1st seed in the West and went on to win the championship.
Nuggets look better than last year.
Really good shot at the first repeat we've seen in awhile.