The Memphis Grizzlies lead the the NBA in steals by a wide margin
The Memphis Grizzlies have had a really good year of basketball, all things considered. That said, they don’t generally have any eye-popping stats. They’re not an elite scoring team, not the best defenders, and didn’t have any NBA All-Stars on their roster.
But the Grizzlies do have one area that they lead the NBA in. That area is steals per game and they do it by a wide margin.
It’s not overly surprising — Memphis as a franchise has always had a feisty defense. We learned this a while ago when we watched players like Zach Randolph, Tony Allen, and other ferocious defenders for this team.
But this year, things are a little bit different for the Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies lead the league in steals, but they don’t do it by sheer force of any single player. In fact, Memphis doesn’t even have a player in the top 20 in steals per game in the NBA. Their closest is Dillon Brooks at the 25 spot with 1.3 SPG.
The Memphis Grizzlies have six individual players who are averaging over a steal per game so far in 2021.
It’s unique, as most other teams among the NBA’s steal leaders have a single guy who makes up for at least a couple of steals. The Grizzlies top players are Brooks, as mentioned, and De’Anthony Melton, who averages 1.3 SPG off of the bench.
There have been a few criticisms of Taylor Jenkins so far as head coach, but defensive tenacity will not be one of them. The Grizzlies cause every single opponent to game plan around their pickpocketing abilities.
This team can only improve defensively and will be aided by the return of Jaren Jackson Jr. sometime in the next few weeks. In fact, Jackson Jr. could even elevate this team to the next level in blocking statistics.
The Grizzlies currently sit at 24th in the league in blocks per game, largely due to their missing shot-blocker in JJJ. His return will give Memphis a huge boost as they head toward the NBA Playoffs and a difference will be felt instantly.
Next. 3 takeaways from the Grizzlies' series vs. GSW. dark
For now, Memphis Grizzlies fans can sleep easy knowing the amount of frustration that their team causes to opposing teams’ offenses.