Jaren Jackson Jr. named 2022-23 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year
Jaren Jackson Jr. from Memphis had the highest number of blocked shots per game and the best defensive statistics at the rim this season.
And voters noticed.
On Monday night, the Memphis big man was declared the winner of the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy, making him the 2022-23 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He is the second player to receive this award while playing for the Grizzlies, following Marc Gasol who achieved this feat a decade ago.
The 2022-23 #KiaDPOY is… Jaren Jackson Jr!#NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/7a2CXbPY6S
— NBA (@NBA) April 17, 2023
This season, Jackson topped the league with an average of 3.0 blocks per game, progressing from his fifth place in last season’s defensive player of the year voting. He accumulated 56 first-place votes and 391 voting points, surpassing Brook Lopez of the Milwaukee Bucks, who received 31 first-place votes and 309 points. Evan Mobley of the Cleveland – only in his second NBA season – came third with eight first-place votes and 101 points.
“Team defense contributes significantly to our success,” Jackson commented on the TNT broadcast that revealed the award.
Jackson’s rim defense shooting percentage – 46.9% – was the best in the league among those who defended at least 300 shots there. This clearly benefited Memphis in securing the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
“There’s absolutely no doubt that JJ is the defensive player of the year,” stated Taylor Jenkins, the coach of Memphis, earlier this month.
Jenkins might delve into all the analytics he desires, however, a simple observation can also narrate the story. Jackson Jr. wasn’t prepared for the season’s start due to needing additional recovery time for his surgically mended right foot.
Memphis, while waiting for Jackson Jr. to prepare, was not particularly impressive on defense.
Kia DPOY Jackson Jr. becomes a part of ‘Inside the NBA’.
“Jenkins stated, “He was absent for the year’s first 15 games. Our defensive performance was really poor. However, when he returned to the lineup, there was a drastic improvement.”
Jackson credited Jenkins and the staff of the Grizzlies significantly for their role in helping him secure the award.
“Jackson said, “They’ve given me the confidence to be assertive on the offensive end, but they’ve really unleashed my potential on the defensive end, allowing me to do whatever I want.”
Lopez, who was the runner-up, had never been so close to winning a major individual award in his 15 seasons in the NBA.
Despite his career-long average of 1.8 shot blocks per game, it was the first time Lopez seriously contended for the DPOY award. In 2020, he ended up in 10th place in the voting. That same year, his teammate from Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo, won both the DPOY and MVP awards.
This season, Lopez set a personal record and led the league by blocking 193 shots. Additionally, he contested 17.5 shots per game, which was significantly higher than anyone else in the league.
DPOYYYYY @jarenjacksonjr pic.twitter.com/SSVBCYmcKJ
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) April 17, 2023
Draymond Green from Golden State came in fourth, followed by Bam Adebayo from Miami in fifth. Antetokounmpo was in the sixth position. O.G. Anunoby from Toronto and Jrue Holiday from Milwaukee were tied for the seventh place. Joel Embiid from Philadelphia and Nic Claxton from Brooklyn were neck and neck in the ninth position. Alex Caruso from Chicago was in the 11th spot, and Jimmy Butler from Miami rounded out the list in 12th.
This season, the league announced its first major individual award.
Three more awards are scheduled to be revealed later this week — Clutch Player (Butler, Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan or Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox) is coming Tuesday, Coach of the Year (Sacramento’s Mike Brown, Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault or Boston’s Joe Mazzulla) will be announced Wednesday and Sixth Man of the Year (Boston’s Malcolm Brogdon, Milwaukee’s Bobby Portis Jr. or New York’s Immanuel Quickley) will be revealed Thursday.
VOTING RESULTS
THE HAKEEM OLAJUWON TROPHY
Hakeem Olajuwon, a Hall of Fame player known for his defensive prowess, has been honored with the Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. Olajuwon’s career highlights include being named NBA Defensive Player of the Year twice, being selected for the NBA All-Defensive Team nine times, and being recognized as the league’s all-time leader in blocked shots, in addition to ranking ninth in steals. Beyond his defensive accomplishments, Olajuwon is a two-time NBA champion, 12-time NBA AllStar, league MVP, two-time NBA Finals MVP, 12-time All-NBA Team selection, and a member of the NBA’s 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams. The trophy, which showcases a player in a traditional defensive position, perfectly captures Olajuwon’s skill and dedication to the game.
