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 numbers at the rim this season. No one else surpassed him.
And voters noticed.
On Monday night, the Memphis big man was named the 2022-23 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year, receiving the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy. He is the second player to win this award in a Grizzlies’ uniform, following in the footsteps of 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, improving from his fifth-place finish in the defensive player of the year poll last season. He received 56 first-place votes and a total of 391 voting points, thereby outpacing Brook Lopez from the Milwaukee Bucks, who ended up as the runner-up with 31 first-place votes and 309 points. In his second NBA season, Evan Mobley of Cleveland secured the third position, earning eight first-place votes and 101 points.
“Team defense is really beneficial to us. It makes a significant difference,” Jackson commented on the TNT broadcast that declared the award.
Jackson allowed a rim shooting percentage of 46.9% — the best in the league among those who defended at least 300 shots there. This played a significant role in Memphis’ journey to securing the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
“Without a doubt, it’s a no-brainer that JJ is certainly the Defensive Player of the Year,” stated Memphis Coach Taylor Jenkins earlier this month.
Jenkins can delve into as much analytics as he desires, however, a basic visual assessment also narrates the situation. Jackson Jr. was not prepared for the season’s commencement due to his right foot, which had undergone surgery, requiring additional healing time.
Memphis, while waiting for Jackson Jr. to get ready, was not exactly great on defense.
Kia Defensive Player of the Year, Jackson Jr., joins ‘Inside the NBA’.
“Jenkins said, ‘He was absent for the year’s first 15 games. Our defense was really poor during that time. However, when he returned to the lineup, things drastically improved.”
Jackson attributed much of his award win to Jenkins and the Grizzlies’ staff, praising their role in his success.
Jackson said, “They’ve given me the confidence to be offensively aggressive, but they’ve truly unleashed my defensive potential, allowing me to do whatever I need to do.”
In his 15 NBA seasons, Lopez, the runner-up, had never been this close to a major individual award.
Despite his career-long skill as a shot-blocker, averaging 1.8 blocks per game, Lopez had never been a serious contender for the DPOY award until now. He ranked 10th in the 2020 voting, the same season his Milwaukee teammate, Giannis Antetokounmpo, won both the DPOY and MVP awards.
This season, Lopez set a personal and league-high record by blocking 193 shots. In addition, he contested an unprecedented 17.5 shots per game — the highest number in the league by a substantial margin.
DPOYYYYY @jarenjacksonjr pic.twitter.com/SSVBCYmcKJ
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) April 17, 2023
Draymond Green from Golden State came in fourth, followed by Miami’s Bam Adebayo in fifth and Antetokounmpo in sixth. Tied for seventh were O.G. Anunoby from Toronto and Jrue Holiday from Milwaukee. Joel Embiid from Philadelphia and Nic Claxton from Brooklyn both tied for ninth. Alex Caruso from Chicago came in 11th, with Miami’s Jimmy Butler taking the 12th spot.
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’s Hall of Fame career was defined by his defensive dominance, earning him the title of Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year twice. His skills on the court also led to nine NBA All-Defensive Team selections. Olajuwon holds the league record for the most blocked shots and is ranked ninth for steals. Beyond his defensive achievements, he 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, awarded to him, is designed with a figure in a classic defensive position – one hand up, one down, knees bent and ready to spring into action.
