Lance Stephenson of the Indiana Pacers is mainly known for his antics and intense style of play, but he also happens to be one of the very best rebounding guards in the NBA.
Indiana Pacers combo guard Lance Stephenson has a great deal to offer as a player — some of it good, some of it not so good. He plays with great energy, gets under the skin of opposing players and has a varied and rather impressive skill-set.
Stephenson also plays out of control at times, making passes and taking shots that defy logic. He is most certainly a lightning rod that can ignite his team, but he can also drag it down at times.
One interesting aspect of Lance Stephenson’s game that may not be apparent at first blush is his rebounding prowess. One does not usually think of a 6’5″ player as a candidate to be an outstanding rebounder, but it’s true in this case.
Stephenson is very strong and at 230 pounds can hold his own on the inside, even among taller and heavier players. He is good at using his bulk to outmuscle the opposition, and adding that to his aggression and athleticism makes for an effective combination.
To see just how impactful Stephenson is as a rebounder, let’s take a look at some traditional and advanced statistics. Among all NBA guards who are regular rotation players, Lance Stephenson is fourth in the league in rebounds per 36 minutes (8.3).
Lance just beat four Heat for an offensive rebound.
— Dave Searle (@MillerTimePod) November 19, 2017
In this category, only Russell Westbrook (9.4), Ben Simmons (8.8) and Dejounte Murray (8.7) have been more productive than Lance Stephenson so far this season.
Among Indiana’s rotation players, Stephenson is third on the club in rebounds per 36 minutes, trailing Domantas Sabonis (12.4) and in a virtual tie with Myles Turner (8.4) — both of whom are 6’11” centers.
Perhaps a better and more accurate assessment of rebounding productivity can be found in the rebounding percentage metric. When examining this advanced statistic, Stephenson shines even more.
Lance Stephenson is the second-ranked guard in the NBA in Rebounding Percentage at 13.4, bested only by Russell Westbrook’s slightly higher rate of 14.5 percent.
Only one Pacers player has a higher Rebounding Percentage than Stephenson (Sabonis, who checks in with a rebounding percentage of 19.5).
One qualifier to all this is that Stephenson has a reputation, even within his own team, of “stealing” rebounds from bigs — he will swoop in and grab boards that a teammate already seems to have a beat on.
Arguments can be made on both sides, but it is hard to be too critical of Stephenson for that type of energy and aggression. Besides, there is rarely a guarantee that a player will get a rebound, even if they are in good position.
There is always a chance that the teammate in question will fumble the rebound away, or perhaps lose it in a battle with an opposing player. If Stephenson can solidly secure a rebound, he should do so.
Lance Stephenson has had his moments this season, but he hasn’t had the overall impact many expected him to have as the team’s sixth man. To compensate for his erratic shooting and turnovers, he’s had to find other ways to contribute.
Next: 2017-18 Week 10 NBA Power Rankings
The Pacers aren’t a great rebounding team, so having a guard like Stephenson crash the boards on a regular basis has been a big plus for the club — and that’s helped Indiana post a surprising 17-14 record to this point in the season.