Toronto Raptors: Which players will lead each statistical category?
Steals
Last year: Kawhi Leonard
In his first and only season with the Toronto Raptors, Kawhi Leonard led the team in points and steals, while he was second in rebounds. Other than Leonard, only Kyle Lowry averaged more than one steal per game for the Raptors, with 1.4 steals per game. However, a lot of players did hover around just under one steal per game.
The Raptors were an above-average team when it came to forcing turnovers, averaging 8.3 steals per game, good for ninth in the NBA. If anything, the wealth was spread out evenly, which comes as no surprise, considering the talent on the team.
Without Leonard, it’s all too likely that Kyle Lowry leads the team in steals. It’s an easy pick, but it’s a safe pick. Lowry is a solid defender, capable of defending out on the perimeter and holding his own against just about anyone in the league, no matter the size.
Lowry is a high-IQ basketball player, both offensively and defensively, he’s smart enough to gamble on passes when he needs to, and to poke lose balls out of unsuspecting players – he can do it all.
It’s highly likely that a wing player like Siakam or OG Anunoby could pip Lowry to the leaf here, but for now, it’s Lowry’s wheelhouse and he gets the benefit of the doubt.