Ranking the Stealthiest Pick-Pocketing Thief from Every NBA Team

When discussing prolific thieves of the hardwood, there are generally two categories.

Usually, players don't use both techniques regularly. The tough on-ball defenders, like Metta World Peace, are the guys that man up, stop you with their bodies and poke at the dribble to create pilfers.

The other type are the demons of the passing lanes. An example of a player like this is Allen Iverson. These players rarely body up defensively. Instead, they use their quickness, length and instincts to jump the lanes to create turnovers.

These are the stealth attack pickpockets of the NBA, and this is a list of the stealthiest of the stealth from each team.

Atlanta Hawks: Kirk Hinrich

Though he's soon be supplanted by Jeff Teague as the teams's best point guard and stealthiest defender, for now it is still Hinrich.

Hinrich led the Hawks with 1.2 steals per game. He is one of the few defenders that plays the lanes and the man.

Hinrich is solid all-around defender and underrated player.

Boston Celtics: Rajon Rondo

Even though Kevin Garnett led the team in steals in the postseason, Rondo is the stealthiest pickpocket.

Rondo gambles a lot while playing on-ball defense, thanks to the Celtics amazing defensive rotation, but he is also a ball hawk in the passing lanes.

Rondo registered 2.3 steals per game last season.

Charlotte Bobcats: Kemba Walker

Walker is silly quick and with the Bobcats' two best defenders from last season gone to Milwaukee (Stephen Jackson) and Portland (Gerald Wallace), Walker will become their premier perimeter defender and stealth master.

Walker averaged 1.7 steals per game in his three-year collegiate career at Uconn, and that number could increase in the more free-wheeling NBA.

Chicago Bulls: Derrick Rose

Rose has not become a complete defender yet, but he has begun to play the passing lanes. His natural quickness and explosion makes him a potential two steal per night guy.

If he concentrates on this a little more, he'll make an All-Defensive team in the near future. Rose averaged one steal per game last season.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Baron Davis

The Cavaliers didn't do much of anything good last year, and Baron Davis is far from a lock-down defender. The steals he does get are of the sneaky variety.

He averaged 1.3 steals per game.

Dallas Mavericks: Jason Kidd

The future Hall of Famer's foot speed has been reduced to a trot, but his instincts are as sharp as ever. Kidd is one of the most impressive basketball players of all-time in my opinion.

The way he has adapted and transformed his game over almost 20 years is truly amazing. He averaged 1.7 steals per game last season even though he can't guard most point guards anymore.

Denver Nuggets: Ty Lawson

Ty Lawson's speed is underrated. He uses that quick explosion to jump the passing lanes for a steal per game.

He is only 5'11" with short arms, so his steals are generally all quickness and anticipation.

Detroit Pistons: Will Bynum

The short, stocky and uber-athletic Bynum applies a lot of defensive pressure.

He averaged just under a steal per night and loves to get in the passing lanes to create breakaways.

Golden State: Monta Ellis

Ellis is one of the premier steal men in the league. He averaged 2.1 per contest last year.

Ellis is blazing quick with long arms, but most of all he has great instincts to play the lanes.

He is not a great traditional defender, but he does make the impact plays with steals.

Houston Rockets: Kyle Lowry

Kyle Lowry is another stocky but quick defender. Lowry is one of the better on-ball defenders in the NBA at the point guard position. He does it with strength and quickness and can jump the passing lanes as well.

Lowry averaged 1.4 steals per game last season.

Indiana Pacers: Paul George

Paul George is one of the true up-and-coming perimeter defenders in the NBA. Exhibit A was his more than adequate defense on Derrick Rose during the Bulls and Pacers first-round series.

George also plays the passing lanes well with his length and athleticism. He averaged 1.4 steals per game in the postseason.

LA Clippers: Eric Bledsoe

Many people don't realize how great an athlete Eric Bledsoe is. He is a rock-solid physical specimen with great quickness and sickening bounce. Bledsoe is a very good on-ball defender that is slowly incorporating passing lane play into his defensive arsenal.

Bledsoe snatched 1.2 steals per game last season.

LA Lakers: Kobe Bryant

Kobe is still a very good defender; now he is using cunning and guile as well as his athleticism for pilfers.

The Black Mamba strikes for 1.2 steals per game and proves he is still among the game's best overall players.

Memphis Grizzlies: Tony Allen

Allen may be the best perimeter defender in the NBA.

He does it all defensively, playing the passing lanes and bodying up. It results in 1.8 steals per game.

Miami Heat: LeBron James

LeBron is the best impact defender in the NBA. He is required to do too much offensively to body up on the opposition every trip down the floor, but when it comes to big steals and the chase-down blocks, nobody does it better or more than James.

James averaged 1.6 steals per game last season.

Milwaukee Bucks: Brandon Jennings

Jennings plays the ball on defense, almost exclusively.

It isn't exactly what coach Scott Skiles would prefer, but it did generate 1.5 steals per game for Jennings last year.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Luke Ridnour

The Timberwolves don't have many steal threats, especially after Corey Brewer departed for Dallas.

Ridnour is the most stealthy of the remaining bunch at 1.2 steals per game last season.

New Jersey Nets: Deron Williams

Williams is an underrated defender; he generated 1.2 steals per game for the Nets last season.

He doesn't play the passing lanes much, but he uses his bulk and deceptively quick hands to generate steals.

New Orleans Hornets: Chris Paul

CP3 is one of the best in the NBA at playing the passing lanes and picking his opponent's pocket.

Paul averaged 2.4 steals per game during the regular season and has been routinely in the top three in steals since he entered the league.

New York Knicks: Landry Fields

Landry Fields is a good defender, among other things.

Though he isn't exceptionally quick, he plays the passing lanes very well and that generated a steal per game last season.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Russell Westbrook

Westbrook is an emerging steals artist. He gets most of them from sneaky reach-ins, but he also uses his gazelle-like athleticism to jump the passing lanes.

RW collected 1.9 steals per game last season.

Orlando Magic: Jameer Nelson

Though Dwight Howard led the Magic in steals and almost every other statistical category, there is nothing stealthy about him.

Jameer Nelson does generate a good amount of sneaky steals.

Nelson grabbed just under one steal per game last season.

Philadelphia 76ers: Andre Iguodala

Iggy is the 76ers' top defender. He can generate a steal in just about any way imaginable. He can use his strength to body up and poke at the dribble, or his athleticism to streak into the passing lane.

He may just be taking his defensive show on the road this season.

Phoenix Suns: Vince Carter

There is about a 99.9 percent chance Vince Carter will not return to Phoenix, especially considering the team holds an $18 million option on the creaky-aging former star.

Still, Carter is the team's best stealth thief. He never has played much man-on-man defense, but he has always generated a decent amount of steals. Last year he averaged just about a steal per night.

Portland Trailblazers: Gerald Wallace

Wallace is one of the NBA's most underrated overall players, but it all starts with defense for him.

He snatched two steals per night for the Blazers last season.

Wallace gets his pilfers in about as many ways as he helps his team. He is stat sheet stuffer, and the steals are just one column.

Sacramento Kings: Tyreke Evans

Evans is a big guard, but he has great instincts for the ball on defense. Evans ball-hawked his way to 1.5 steals per game last season.

Marcus Thornton was a proficient thief in his short time with the Kings last season, but Evans is the stealthiest.

San Antonio Spurs: Manu Ginobili

Manu defends well overall, but he definitely is a ball hawk as well. He led the Spurs in steals again this past season, but his age and health is a concern at this point.

Ginobili is still a effective impact defender. He averaged 1.5 steals per game last season.

Toronto Raptors: Jose Calderon

Calderon is exceptionally quick, but he generates steals with his instincts. He is always near the top of the steal-per-game mark.

He led the Raptors in steals; stealth is the primary reason, as he does not have great physical traits to depend on.

Utah Jazz: Raja Bell

Of the remaining Jazz players, defensive specialist Raja Bell would have to get the nod here. Rookie Alec Burks certainly has the physical tools, but that remains to be seen.

Bell averaged just under a steal per game last season for the Jazz.

Washington Wizard: John Wall

This is an easy selection. Wall is blazing fast and he loves to poke at the dribble and jump the passing lanes.

He averaged 1.8 steals per game last season, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him lead the NBA in steals this year.