Lakers: How Does D’Angelo Russell’s Season Compare to 2016 Rookies?

Steals

Steals are often pertinent to the point guard position as they either have the ball or are defending one the ball more than any other player on the court. As such, the ability to force turnovers is huge.

As far as steals, D-Loading came in second overall behind T.J. McConnell. McConnell was an undrafted free agent 76ers point guard out of the University of Arizona who played his way into the NBA and into a role on the albeit depleted Sixers roster.

Here’s a look at how the total steals count broke down among rookies last season:

Russell and McConnell ended the season within two steals of each other and separating themselves from the rest of the rookie class. They ranked No. 43 and 38 respectively overall in the league.

There may or may not be any correlation, but Russell and McConnell played for teams who ended up being the two worst in the League. Maybe the lack of success led to them having a chip on their shoulders and they felt they had much more to prove than other rookies. No one can no for sure, but what’s important is that Russell managed to shine in terms of thefts this season.

But what about setting up his teammates with his passing?

Next: Assists