Grizzlies: Jaren Jackson Jr. Bags 2022-23 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Honors

(Photo : Justin Ford / Stringer) MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - LeBron James (#6) of the Los Angeles Lakers goes to the basket against Jaren Jackson Jr. (#13) of the Memphis Grizzlies during the first half of Game One of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs at FedExForum on April 16, 2023 in Memphis, Tennessee.

Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies bags the 2022-23 NBA Defensive Player of the Year honors, edging out Milwaukee's Brook Lopez and Cleveland's Evan Mobley.

Jaren Jackson Jr. was the candidate who had the highest average of steals and blocks per game out of the three, and he ranked second in terms of defensive rebounds per game.

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Jaren Jackson Jr Is 2nd Youngest NBA Player To Win DPOY

Only two Memphis Grizzlies players have won the award, with Jackson Jr. being the second. Marc Gasol was the first to receive the honor during the 2012-13 season.

Jackson Jr. had his most successful season yet, and in February, he was chosen for the NBA All-Star team for the first time. He achieved an average of 18.6 points per game, the highest of his career, and had a shooting percentage of over 50%.

Jackson's presence was felt, especially during the absence of his teammate Ja Morant, who was out for personal reasons. Despite expectations that the Grizzlies would perform poorly without their point guard, they won six out of nine games, largely because of Jackson's outstanding defense. This ultimately helped him secure the victory in a closely contested competition with Lopez and Mobley.

At 23 years and 214 days, Jaren Jackson Jr. has become the second-youngest player to win the DPOY award in NBA history, following in the footsteps of Dwight Howard in the 2008-09 season. Additionally, he is only the fourth player to win this award at 23 or younger, joining the ranks of Dwight Howard, Alvin Robertson, and Kawhi Leonard.

Now, he's in for a bigger challenge - beating LA. The Lakers won the first game and aim to win another one before they move to LA for Game 3. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies will concentrate on Ja Morant and his injured right wrist to level the series before going on the road. Although X-rays taken after the game were negative, the Grizzlies are concerned that Morant might not play in Game 2.

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