San Antonio Spurs' Kawhi Leonard (2) and New York Knicks' Langston Galloway (2) fight for control of the ball during the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, March 17, 2015, in New York. The Knicks won the game 104-100. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)Associated Press

Leonard Looking to Become Spurs' 1st League Leader in Steals Since 1987

Bleacher Report MilestonesMar 30, 2015

San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard is averaging an NBA-best 2.22 steals this season, putting him on track to be the first Spur since Alvin Robertson in 1986-87 to lead the league in steals per game, per NBA.com/stats.

Leonard is closely followed on the league leaderboard by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (2.15) and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (2.10), who are both leading candidates to be named MVP.

While Westbrook and Curry have already surpassed the 58-game minimum to qualify for the league lead in a per-game average, Leonard still needs to make three more appearances over the Spurs' final nine games.

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That shouldn't be an issue for the 23-year-old forward; the Spurs still have a bunch of potential outcomes for playoff seeding.

With the Memphis Grizzlies recently slumping, San Antonio could conceivably be seeded anywhere from No. 2 to No. 7.

Given Leonard's renowned work on defense, it would be shocking if this is the last time he has a chance to lead the league in steals.

While no Spur has accomplished the feat since 1986-87, Robertson was one of the all-time greats at swiping the ball from opponents.

He led the league in total steals and steals per game in 1985-86 and 1986-87, setting single-season records for both categories in the first of those two seasons. Robertson's records of 301 steals and 3.7 steals per game stand to this day, with no legitimate challenge yet.