Dru Smith played 1,141 minutes for Miami in 2025-26 and posted the highest steal rate of any player who cleared 1,000 minutes: 3.2 per 36 and 4.1 per 100 possessions.

Detroit’s Ausar Thompson was next at 2.8 steals per 36, John Konchar had 2.7 and Oklahoma City’s Cason Wallace 2.6. Caruso, Melton and Green sat at 2.5.

Smith’s 4.1 steal percentage also led the 1,000-minute club. Ausar Thompson was second at 3.7, with Wallace and Konchar tied at 3.5.

Ausar Thompson won the steals-per-game title at 2.00. Smith’s edge is rate: 100 steals in 70 games, 1.4 a night in just 16.3 minutes.

He averaged 5.6 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Per 36 that becomes 12.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 3.2 steals.

Smith had 100 steals against 55 turnovers while using 15.2% of Miami’s possessions, with a 110 defensive rating per 100 possessions.

Can Erik Spoelstra find more than 16 minutes a night for the 28-year-old without losing the efficiency that came with limited usage?

Photo by Katie Dugan, CC-BY-2.0, resized. Dru Smith, then with South Carolina, photographed in February 2020.

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