New Orleans Pelicans: Lonzo Ball should lead the league in steals

The New Orleans Pelicans didn’t have much to celebrate defensively this season but Lonzo Ball had one statistic that he can build on for the future.

The Pelicans did improve to 23rd in the league defensively and got better down the stretch, so there is some hope in that area.

If they can add another wing defender or two to this roster the Pelicans can make the kind of leap defensively that they need to if they want to make the playoffs.

Lonzo Ball played well defensively, guarding several different positions and racking up a fair number of steals, something he does very well.

In fact, he has the skills and instincts to lead the league in steals one day.

New Orleans Pelicans: Where does Lonzo Ball rank in steals?

Lonzo Ball ranked 20th in total steals this season, so it seems like a long shot to say he might lead the league in steals.

But he was 13th in steals per game at 1.5 and had to miss a bunch of games due to injury, so if he can stay healthy for a whole season, he might have a chance.

Lonzo has good instincts for when to jump the passing lanes, especially when he is defending shooting guards or on the wing.

If the Pelicans end up playing Lonzo Ball more on the wing defensively, I think those steal totals will tick up.

It’s really just going to come down to whether Lonzo Ball can stay healthy for a full season and how he is deployed defensively.

Steals are mostly about positioning and basketball I.Q., two things Lonzo Ball is known for, so as he continues to improve and get more durable, I think he can lead the NBA in steals one day.

At this point we are not sure if that is going to be for the New Orleans Pelicans or not, but it will be interesting to see if Lonzo Ball has another level defensively.