Jaren Jackson Jr. Named NBA's 2022-23 Defensive Player of The Year With Memphis Grizzlies

Photo: Instagram/Jaren Jackson Jr.

On Monday, the NBA announced that Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies has been awarded the 2022-23 Defensive Player of the Year award.

Jackson led the league with an average of three blocks per game, while also averaging one steal per game.

Despite missing the first month of the season, the Grizzlies had the third-best defense in the NBA, allowing 110.3 points per 100 possessions, since his return on Nov. 15.

Photo: Instagram/Jaren Jackson Jr., the Allstar of Memphis Grizzlies, has recently been awarded the title of 2022-2023 Kia Defensive Player of the Year.

Jackson faced some tough competition throughout the year.

Brook Lopez of the Milwaukee Bucks was the favorite for much of the season, and Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers made a strong push towards the end.

Jackson's playing time was also called into question by some voters, as he was on the court for only 45% of the Grizzlies' total minutes this season.

Earlier in the season, a Reddit post claimed that Jackson had been given extra blocks and steals by his home scorekeeper in Memphis.

However, the post was debunked, and Jackson remained a favorite for the award. What likely sealed the award for Jackson was his outstanding performance when his teammate Ja Morant was absent for personal reasons.

Jackson's defensive contributions helped the Grizzlies to win six out of nine games in Morant's absence.
Jackson is the second Grizzly to win the Defensive Player of the Year award, after Marc Gasol won it in 2013.

While Gasol and Jackson only briefly shared a uniform, their contrasting styles of play make for an interesting comparison.

Gasol was a grounded and limited defender, while Jackson's athleticism makes him one of the best defensive players the NBA has ever seen.

With this win, Jackson has the potential to add many more trophies to his collection in the future.

Read Next: Russell Westbrook's Late-Game Heroics Lead Clippers To Victory Over Suns In Game 1

Source: CBS Sports 

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