A lot depends on winning a basketball game. Taking shots and preventing the opponent from doing so is obviously priority #1 and #1A. With that said, there’s more to it than that.

For example, if you play smart, you can achieve a lot. Playing smart not only means taking good shots and avoiding unnecessary fouls, but also handling the ball. The last thing a team should do is give their opponent more possession and shooting opportunities.

If you look at the NBA standings, you’ll see that the teams at or near the top obviously do a lot of things well, but ball handling is one of them. It’s very hard to win in the NBA when the ball is turned over a lot – and the good teams know that.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the NBA rankings, ranked by turnover rate.

*Note: All statistics and records are from before the games on Wednesday, December 4th.

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The Oklahoma City Thunder are not only extremely talented, they also play the game the right way. Their 11.6 turnovers per game are not only the fewest in the Western Conference, but also the fewest in the NBA. The most impressive thing is that despite a 32.0 percent usage rate – the sixth-highest mark in the NBA – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaged just 2.7 turnovers per game.

To put that in perspective, all five players above him who played in more than one game averaged at least 3.3 turnovers per game. Gilgeous-Alexander has the ball in his hands, but he protects it better than most. The fact that the Thunder maintained control of the ball clearly helped them get off to as good a start as they did.

While the Thunder are a prime example of a team succeeding thanks to its ability to avoid turnovers, there are exceptions to this rule. For example, the Los Angeles Lakers average the second-fewest turnovers per game in the Western Conference, but are currently ranked No. 9 in the West. Having a veteran-led team that has been working together for some time certainly helps. If the Lakers start making shots, maybe they can move up in the standings.

The Memphis Grizzlies are an example of a team going the other way. They have thrown the third-most shots per game of any Western Conference team, but are tied for third in points. Ja Morant is as dynamic as any guard in the league, but his 3.9 turnovers per game will need to be mitigated for Memphis represents a legitimate threat in the Western Conference.

Not surprisingly, the Eastern Conference teams that can take care of the basketball better are at or near the top of the table. Four of the Eastern Conference’s top five teams on record are among the top five in the conference when it comes to turnover rate. Unsurprisingly, the defending champion Boston Celtics are at the top.

While conference results ranked by turnover rate are mostly poor, there are some exceptions. The Miami Heat are under .500 but still have the second-best turnover rate in the conference. The fact that the team is 25th in the NBA and only shoots 44.0 percent from the field has a lot to do with its struggles early in the season. As long as they continue to protect the ball, the results should follow, assuming they shoot the ball better.

On the other hand, the Atlanta Hawks are currently No. 6 in the Eastern Conference, but are second to last in the conference in turnovers per game. At the end of the day, any team that drafts Trae Young will be in this position. Young is obviously a great player, but he averages 4.8 turnovers per game – the most in the NBA. With his style of play there will definitely be turnovers. Hawks fans can somewhat live with that, as his 12.2 assists per game leads the league by a wide margin.