Chris Paul holds four of the top five spots for the Pelicans as the single season steals per game leader.
The New Orleans Pelicans have had a number of talented defenders suit up for them throughout their 24 years in the NBA. This article will dig into the greatest steals seasons in franchise history, with Chris Paul holding down four of the top-five spots. Note that steals did not become an official NBA stat until the 1973-74 season.
Chris Paul – 2009, 2.8 SPG
In 2008-09, a 23-year-old Paul averaged a career-high and league-leading 2.8 steals per game, adding a career-high 22.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and an NBA-best 11.0 assists across 78 outings. He was awarded with All-Star, Second Team All-NBA and First Team All-Defensive selections, and finished fifth in MVP voting and sixth in the Defensive Player of the Year race. Paul tallied 50 double-doubles and six triple-doubles while helping New Orleans to a 49-33 overall record. He swiped at least three steals in 45 contests, including 12 outings with five or more, and failed to record a steal in just seven of his 78 appearances.
Chris Paul – 2008, 2.7 SPG
One year prior, ‘The Point God’ led the NBA in assists and steals for the first time in his third professional campaign. He posted a career-high and league-leading 11.6 dimes with 2.7 steals, adding 21.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and only 2.5 turnovers per game across 80 appearances. Paul earned his first All-Star, All-NBA (First Team) and All-Defensive (Second Team) nods of his career, and finished as the MVP runner-up behind the late Kobe Bryant. The fourth overall pick by New Orleans in 2005 compiled 56 double-doubles and one triple-double, and recorded at least one steal in every outing, setting a personal best with nine swipes in a win over Dallas. Paul’s 217 total steals that season remain the most all-time in franchise history, and it marked the beginning of a seven-year span in which he averaged at least 2.1 spg.
Baron Davis – 2004, 2.4 SPG
Davis, the only player on this list other than Paul, led the NBA with a career-high 2.4 steals per game during the 2003-04 campaign. ‘Boom Dizzle’ also poured in a career-best 22.9 points to go along with 4.3 boards and 7.5 assists over 67 contests (66 starts), earning him an All-Star nod and Third Team All-NBA selection at age-24. After the organization chose him with the third overall pick in 1999, Davis spent the first five and a half years of his career there before suiting up for the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks throughout his 13-year tenure as a pro. He compiled averages of 16.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 7.2 apg and 1.8 spg across 835 total appearances.
Chris Paul – 2011, 2.4 SPG
During his final season in New Orleans, Paul put up 15.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 9.8 assists, and a league-leading 2.4 steals across 80 outings. ‘CP3’ made a fourth consecutive All-Star team while earning Third Team All-NBA and Second Team All-Defensive honors for his efforts. Paul spent the first six years of his career with the franchise, posting averages of 18.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 9.9 apg and 2.4 spg over 425 combined regular-season appearances.
Chris Paul – 2006, 2.2 SPG
Paul closes out the list with the 2.2 steals per game he collected during his rookie campaign in 2005-06. He added 16.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 2.3 turnovers a night in 78 outings, helping the then 20-year-old take home the Rookie of the Year award. CP3 recorded at least one theft in all but six contests that year, posting 28 games with three or more, including five with at least five swipes. Following his time in New Orleans, Paul played for the Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, and Warriors over the course of his 20 years as a pro, and he’ll suit up for the Clips once again for the upcoming 2025-26 season. Paul is a 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, nine-time All-Defensive, six-time steals champ, five-time assist champ, and a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
