Ball security and playmaking efficiency are two of the most valuable skills in today’s NBA. While scoring grabs the headlines, the ability to consistently create for teammates without coughing up possessions is what separates good guards from truly elite floor generals. In this article, we break down the top-10 players averaging more than six assists and fewer than three turnovers per game, highlighting the guards and playmakers who are unselfish on offense this season.

Andrew Nembhard, Pacers

Nembhard had the opportunity to take the reins of the Pacers’ offense this season due to the absence of Tyrese Haliburton. Despite the squad struggling to the point of sitting last place in the East, he has done well to deliver solid production across the board, including averaging 7.5 assists, compared to just 2.4 turnovers in 32.1 minutes per game. Although he has not been able to coordinate the attack to the same level as Haliburton, he continues to prove himself as a reliable ball handler and conscientious distributor. The experience of being in the driver’s seat this season should help his development in the long run, as this marks just his fourth NBA season.

Jamal Murray, Nuggets 

Murray has been delivering elite production for years now, but he is currently working on career highs across the board, with 25.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game. His impressive numbers are complemented by the fact that he is limiting himself to just 2.3 turnovers in 35.5 minutes per game, despite often being a critical focal point of opposing defenses. He has never averaged more than 2.3 turnovers per game in his career, which proves that this season is no fluke, and combined with his other stats, he deserves mention among the top point guards of his generation.

Davion Mitchell, Heat 

Mitchell has done a great job of earning and maintaining a starting role over the last couple of seasons. Part of the reason for his success is his ability to distribute at a high level while also showing great diligence in taking care of the ball. With a career-high 7.3 assists per game, which is a major leap from his previous high of 4.9, and just 1.6 turnovers per game, he boasts one of the best assist-to-turnover ratios in the league, and the best on this list by a notable margin. 

Isaiah Collier, Jazz 

Collier moved up a spot on this list after an incredible performance on Tuesday night, where he racked up 22 assists, with only two turnovers in 48 minutes of action. He is averaging seven assists and 2.3 turnovers per game this season, making him one of the league’s most trustworthy ball handlers in just his second season. Despite his impressive play, he will likely remain behind Keyonte George in the Jazz’s rotation at point guard. However, there will be plenty of opportunities for him to continue to rack up the assists while playing alongside a group of offensively talented big men. 

Tyrese Maxey, 76ers 

Maxey has become one of the league’s top scorers, but his ability to get teammates involved with efficient distribution is also on the rise. He is averaging a career-high 6.8 assists and limiting himself to 2.4 turnovers in a whopping 38.9 minutes per game. The sixth-year point guard is undoubtedly working in elite territory and likely still has room to show improvement at just 25 years old. Not to mention, he has not had the benefit of playing with a consistently healthy lineup over the last couple of seasons. 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder 

Last season’s MVP is most often touted for his elite scoring ability, but he also stands out as one of the league’s most reliable ball handlers. He is averaging 6.4 assists per game, which ties his career high from last season, while also limiting himself to just 2.1 turnovers per game, which is his lowest mark since his sophomore campaign. His ability to push the pace and draw multiple defenders on his drives to the basket is key to creating great pass opportunities to open teammates. 

Dyson Daniels, Hawks

Daniels is surely one of the more unexpected players to find on this list, as he is the only one who does not line up at point guard. Nonetheless, he has been a great stabilizing presence in the backcourt for his squad as they have dealt with injury trouble and roster changes. He is averaging a career-high 6.3 assists with just two turnovers per game, standing out as one of the most responsible passers in the league this season. Still, he is mostly known for his defensive presence, averaging 1.9 steals per game, which is fourth-most in the league. 

De’Aaron Fox, Spurs 

Fox has been a solid contributor since joining the Spurs, despite producing slightly less across the board when compared to previous seasons. Nonetheless, he is playing with efficiency, not only by shooting 47.9 percent from the field but also by averaging 6.2 assists with just 2.5 turnovers per game. He has the benefit of a top-tier target to feed in Victor Wembanyama, but the ninth-year guard is also entering the “wily veteran” stage of his career, where he is able to navigate opposing defenses with confidence and poise. 

Jalen Brunson, Knicks 

Brunson has been one of the league’s top point guards for a few seasons now. He continues to shine in just about every way, including averaging 27.1 points per game, which is the second-most of his career, along with a career-best 2.9 made 3-pointers per game. Additionally, his six assists and 2.2 turnovers per game make him one of the most reliable playmakers. On the other hand, his six assists per game is his lowest mark since joining the Knicks. 

Immanuel Quickley, Raptors 

Quickley may often be overlooked as an elite point guard, as he is only in his second season as a clear-cut starter and continues to struggle with his field-goal efficiency, having never shot better than 45 percent from the field in a season. However, his 6.1 assists with just 1.7 turnovers per game give him the second-best assist-to-turnover ratio on this list. At 26-years of age in his sixth NBA season, there is still a small window of time in which he likely continues to build on his abilities.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, speaking in Washington on Wednesday, announced that his nation’s security agencies had “foiled a series of cyberattacks” of “Russian origin.”

Tajani said the attempted attacks targeted numerous “Foreign Ministry offices, starting with Washington, and also some Winter Olympics sites, including hotels in Cortina.”

Past Olympic-related cyberattacks came in Paris in 2024, and Pyeongchang in 2018. It is widely thought that Russian actors were behind them.

Russian bans from games — both for doping infractions as well as its war of aggression in Ukraine — are seen as motivation for such acts of aggression.

British intelligence services say Russian hackers were also eyeballing attacks on Tokyo in 2021.

Russia has been excluded from this year’s event over Ukraine. However, 13 Russian and 7 Belarus athletes have been allowed to compete as neutrals alongside 3,500 global Olympians. 

Diverse Olympic protests and highly policed ‘red zones’

The northern Italian city of Milan and the neighboring Cortina d’Ampezzo region are hosting this year’s Winter Olympics between February 6 and 22.

Some 2 million visitors are expected, including 60,000 at Friday’s opening ceremonies at San Siro Stadium in Milan, which will be attended by US Vice President JD Vance among others.

Numerous protests are scheduled to take place throughout the course of the event, they will highlight issues ranging from the environmental destruction caused by the Olympic business model to Israel’s inclusion in the games despite the situation in Gaza.

Police say Milan’s city center will be declared a “red zone” closed to all pedestrian and vehicular traffic beginning on Friday.

Authorities say they have stepped up security checks at border crossings and rail stations, and that K-9 and bomb crews are conducting regular security sweeps at Olympic venues.

Additionally, snipers have been deployed across the network of tightly controlled red zone sites.

Not the ICE that Italians want at their Olympics

Controversially, a contingent of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents has also been dispatched to the event. Italian citizens and politicians have bristled at the idea that agents from the US domestic agency should be allowed to patrol their streets. Especially in light of negative headlines the agency has made with its deadly policing in Minneapolis.

Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi on Wednesday said US counterparts from ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) would serve solely in an advisory capacity.

“ICE does not and will never be able to carry out operational police activities on our national territory,” Piantedosi said.

He said it was entirely normal for such forces to be deployed, noting that Italy had done the same in Paris in 2024. He also called anger voiced by regional citizens and political leaders over the presence of US agents “completely unfounded.”

24-hour Olympic Operations Room in Rome will coordinate security

Beyond fending off cyber attacks, Italian authorities say some 6,000 police and 2,000 military personnel have been deployed across the region stretching from Milan to the Dolomites.

Italy’s Defense Ministry is providing hardware including hundreds of trucks as well as aircraft, drones and radar to secure the event.

Bomb experts, anti-terror outfits, snipers and skiing police will all be on site said Interior Minister Piantedosi.

Overall security for the event will be coordinated remotely, at the Rome-based International Olympic Operations Room (SOIO). The command center will run around the clock from start to finish, coordinating numerous international and national operations and police headquarters.

Nationally, this means coordination with police in the northern Italian cities of Bolzano, Milan, Sondrio, Trento, Venice and Verona. 

“Officers from foreign police forces, as well as Interpol and Europol personnel, will be present to ensure timely information-sharing and the management of ⁠any critical issues requiring international cooperation,” read a police statement.

Edited by: Jenipher Camino Gonzalez

Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 2 Battle Pass is set to launch on February 5, 2025, at 9 am PT. The new BlackCell BP has also been revealed in an official YouTube video and the Call of Duty blog. The headline skin in the pass is likely the Phantom BlackCell Operator skin. It’s a more grounded mil-sim-focused cosmetic addition to the game that fans may appreciate.

This article will go over the brand new Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 2 Battle Pass and explain what it includes.

Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 2 Battle Pass and BlackCell Price

Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 2 Battle Pass is available in the usual three tiers, which are:

• Standard Battle Pass: 1,100 COD Points ($9.99)
• Battle Pass Bundle: 2,400 COD Points.
• BlackCell: $29.99

All three tiers offer different rewards to players, with the BP bundle granting you 20 Battle Pass Tokens and BlackCell providing additional cosmetics. The theme this time seems to focus on mil-sim versions of popular Operators such as Mason and Kagan. Here’s more.

What’s included in Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 2 Battle Pass and BlackCell?

After purchasing the Black Ops 7 Season 2 Battle Pass, you’ll be able to gain access to the Instant Rewards Page, which will offer the following items:

• 10% Battle Pass XP Boost
• The “Sage” Operator Skin for the new Victoria Atwood Operator plus a BlackCell variant for those who purchase BlackCell
• The “Malcontent” Legendary Blueprint for the Razor 9mm
• The “Arm Up” Animated Calling Card
• The “Warped Skull” Emblem

As usual, you can play games to gain XP and make progress in the Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 2 Battle Pass. Similarly, if you purchase BlackCell, you’ll gain rewards from the BlackCell Instant Rewards page:

• The “Phantom” BlackCell Operator
• The “Eclipse” BlackCell alternate Skin for Phantom.
• 1,100 COD Points
• The “Initiator” Mastercraft Blueprint for the AK-27 Assault Rifle with Tracers and Death FX
• The alternate “Fatalist” Mastercraft Blueprint for the AK-27 Assault Rifle with Tracers and Death FX
• The “Sic ’Em” Companion Finishing Move
• The “Go Time” Gun Screen
• The “BlackCell” Clan Tag (showcased in Lobbies and Winner’s Circles)
• The Season 02 HUD Theme (BlackCell only)
• 10% XP Loyalty Boost

Players can also unlock bonus content by playing the game and unlocking various pages. They can earn seven BlackCell exclusive skins, including the following:

• Instant Reward Page: The “Sage” BlackCell Skin for Atwood
• BP Completion Page: The “Axial” BlackCell Skin for Atwood
• Page 2: The “Zenith” BlackCell Skin for Mason
• Page 4: The “Prognosis” BlackCell Skin for Falkner
• Page 7: The “Guardsman” BlackCell Skin for Nikolai
• Page 9: The “Devious” BlackCell Skin for Vermaak
• Page 12: The “Forgenought” Skin for Reaper EWR-3

Furthermore, seven BlackCell Weapons Blueprints will also be available to the players, including:

• Page 1: The “Paragon BlackCell” Blueprint for the MXR-17 Assault Rifle
• Page 5: The “Deregulator BlackCell” Blueprint for the Warden 308 Marksman Rifle
• Page 8: The “Big Pill BlackCell” Blueprint for the VS Recon Sniper Rifle
• Page 10: The “Slim Chance BlackCell” Blueprint for the M10 Breacher Shotgun
• Page 11: The “Accendo BlackCell” Blueprint for the REV-46 SMG
• Page 13: The “Biosiphon BlackCell” Blueprint for the RK-9 SMG
• Page 14: The “Photon BlackCell” Blueprint for the ERGT-17 Assault Rifle

Also read: Warzone and Black Ops 7 Season 2 release countdown

Read more COD-related articles from Sportskeeda: