Fat Lever holds all top five spots for Denver as their single-season SPG leader.
Perimeter defense and the ability to steal possessions are two undervalued traits when it comes to talking about defense in the NBA. Here, we’ll take a look at which players have posted the best of steals per game averages through the history of the Denver Nuggets organization. However, the list only features one name who was known as an elite perimeter defender in the 1980s.
Fat Lever (1989) – 2.7 steals per game
Lafayette ‘Fat’ Lever established himself as one of the league’s best perimeter defenders during his 11-year career in the NBA. He never averaged less than 1.5 steals per game in any of his seasons, and his best output in that category came in the 1988-89 campaign. His 2.7 swipes per game ranked tied for fourth in the league alongside Clyde Drexler.
Fat Lever (1988) – 2.7 steals per game
Lever also averaged 2.7 steals per game during the 1987-88 season, but similar to what happened in 1988-89, he didn’t lead the league in that category. He once again ranked fourth, though this time, Michael Jordan led the NBA with 3.2 steals per contest, followed by John Stockton and Alvin Robertson with 3.0 swipes each. As for Lever, he finished ninth in the MVP voting after also averaging 18.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game. He also finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting while being named to the All-Star Game and the All-NBA 2nd Team.
Fat Lever (1985) – 2.5 steals per game
The 1984-85 campaign was the first season in which Lever averaged more than 2.0 steals per game. Even though he didn’t receive any individual accolades after that campaign, he started to show glimpses of what he could bring to the table after also putting up 12.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game across 82 starts. Lever ranked third in the league in steals per game in 1984-85.
Fat Lever (1987) – 2.5 steals per game
The 1986-87 season was the third consecutive season in which Lever averaged over 2.0 steals per game, but it was a very successful season from an individual perspective. He was named to the All-NBA Second Team and finished in the Top 10 in both the MVP (ninth) and Defensive Player of the Year (eighth) voting after posting 18.9 points, 8.9 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 2.5 steals per game. In the steals category, Lever ranked sixth in the league.
Fat Lever (1996) – steals per game
The 1985-86 season was Lever’s fourth year in the NBA, and it marked the second straight season in which he averaged double-digit points as a full-time starter. Lever started in all but one of his 78 regular-season contests and averaged 13.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game. In the steals category, Lever ranked fifth in the NBA.
