NBA Standings ordered by turnover rate: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the OKC Thunder protect the rock
A lot goes into winning any given basketball game. Making shots and preventing the opponent from doing that is obviously priority No. 1 and No. 1A. With that being said, though, more goes into it.
For example, playing smart goes a long way. Playing smart not only means taking good shots and avoiding committing unnecessary fouls, but it also means taking care of the ball. The last thing any team should want to do is gift wrap more possessions and shot opportunities for their opponent.
When taking a look at the NBA standings, the teams at or near the top obviously do a lot of things well, but taking care of the ball is one of them. It's very hard to win in the NBA if the ball is turned over often - and the good teams know that.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the NBA standings ordered by turnover rate.
*Note: All stats and records are from before games on Wednesday, Dec. 4.
Subscribe to The Whiteboard, FanSided’s daily email newsletter on everything basketball. If you like The Whiteboard, share it with a friend! If you don’t like The Whiteboard, share it with an enemy.
NBA Western Conference standings ordered by turnover rate
Rank | Team | Turnovers Per Game | Current Record |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 11.6 | 16-5 |
2 | Los Angeles Lakers | 13.0 | 12-9 |
3 | Houston Rockets | 13.4 | 15-7 |
4 | Phoenix Suns | 13.9 | 12-8 |
5 | Dallas Mavericks | 13.9 | 14-8 |
6 | Sacramento Kings | 14.0 | 10-12 |
7 | Denver Nuggets | 14.2 | 11-8 |
8 | Golden State Warriors | 14.3 | 12-8 |
9 | San Antonio Spurs | 15.1 | 11-10 |
10 | New Orleans Pelicans | 15.3 | 4-18 |
11 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 16.1 | 10-10 |
12 | Los Angeles Clippers | 16.5 | 14-9 |
13 | Memphis Grizzlies | 16.8 | 14-8 |
14 | Portland Trail Blazers | 17.1 | 8-14 |
15 | Utah Jazz | 18.5 | 4-17 |
Not only are the Oklahoma City Thunder supremely talented, but they play the game the right way as well. Their 11.6 turnovers per game are not only the fewest in the Western Conference - but the fewest in the NBA. What's most impressive about that is that despite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander having a 32.0 percent usage rate - the sixth-highest mark in the NBA - he has averaged just 2.7 turnovers per game.
To put that into perspective, all five players above him who have played in more than one game have averaged at least 3.3 turnovers per game. Gilgeous-Alexander has the ball in his hands a ton, but he protects it better than most. Clearly, the Thunder keeping control of the ball has helped them get off to as good of a start as they have.
While the Thunder are a prime example of a team succeeding thanks to their ability to avoid turnovers, there are exceptions to that rule. For example, the Los Angeles Lakers average the second-fewest turnovers per game in the Western Conference, yet they're the No. 9 seed in the West as of this writing. Having a veteran-led team that has been together for a while now certainly helps in that regard. If the Lakers start to make shots, perhaps they can climb in the standings.
The Memphis Grizzlies are an example of a team in the other direction. They've turned the ball over the third-most per game out of every Western Conference team, yet they're tied for the No. 3 seed. Ja Morant is as dynamic as any guard in the league, but his 3.9 turnovers per game will have to be toned down for Memphis to be a legitimate threat in the Western Conference.
NBA Eastern Conference standings ordered by turnover rate
Rank | Team | Turnovers Per Game | Current Record |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Boston Celtics | 11.8 | 17-4 |
2 | Miami Heat | 12.6 | 9-10 |
3 | New York Knicks | 13.0 | 13-8 |
4 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 13.2 | 19-3 |
5 | Milwaukee Bucks | 14.0 | 11-9 |
6 | Philadelphia 76ers | 14.4 | 5-14 |
7 | Brooklyn Nets | 14.6 | 9-13 |
8 | Orlando Magic | 14.9 | 15-8 |
9 | Indiana Pacers | 15.0 | 9-13 |
10 | Chicago Bulls | 15.5 | 9-13 |
11 | Washington Wizards | 16.1 | 2-17 |
12 | Charlotte Hornets | 16.3 | 6-15 |
13 | Detroit Pistons | 16.5 | 9-14 |
14 | Atlanta Hawks | 16.5 | 11-11 |
15 | Toronto Raptors | 16.5 | 7-15 |
Unsurprisingly, the teams in the Eastern Conference that are better at taking care of the basketball are at or near the top of the standings. Four of the five best teams in the Eastern Conference record-wise are in the top five in the conference when it comes to turnover rate. The defending champion Boston Celtics unsurprisingly are at the top.
While the conference standings when ordered by turnover rate are mostly chalk, there are some exceptions. The Miami Heat are under .500, yet have the second-best turnover rate in the conference. The team being tied for 25th in the NBA shooting just 44.0 percent from the field has a lot to do with their early-season struggles. As long as they continue to protect the ball, the results should come, assuming they shoot the ball better.
On the flip side, the Atlanta Hawks are currently the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference, yet they rank second-to-last in the conference when it comes to turnovers per game. At the end of the day, any team that rosters Trae Young will be in this position. Young is a great player, obviously, but he averages 4.8 turnovers per game - the most in the NBA. With his playstyle, the turnovers are bound to come. Hawks fans can live with them to an extent because his 12.2 assists per game lead the league by a wide margin.
feed