The National Basketball Association announced today that Memphis Grizzlies forward/quarterback Yaren Jackson Jr. has been named the 2022-23 NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
This is the first NBA Defensive Player of the Year award for Jackson Jr., who becomes only the second player in franchise history to receive the honor (Marc Gasol in 2012-13). Jackson Jr. is the second-youngest player in NBA history (Dwight Howard) to be named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year and become one of four 23-year-olds to win the award (Kawhi Leonard in 2014-15; Howard in 2007-08 ; Alvin Robertson in 1985-1986).
The 6-foot-11 Jackson Jr., whose defense helped propel the Grizzlies to a 51-31 record (second in the Western Conference) and second straight to the Southwest Division Championship, earned 391 points (56 first-place votes) from A global panel of 100 sports writers and broadcasters. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.
Jackson Jr. led the NBA in blocks per game (3.0) and block percentage (9.6) for the second straight season and tied for second in total blocks (189). He surpassed his own single-season franchise records in all three categories while also achieving career bests with 18.6 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game.
Behind Jackson Jr., Memphis led the Western Conference and ranked third in the NBA in defensive ratings (110.7) and held opponents for the lowest field goal percentage (45.3%) and the teams highest field goal percentage (-2.2%). Individually, when serving as the primary defender, Jackson Jr. led the NBA in field goal percentage allowed on the edge (46.9% in 454 contests) with a minimum of 20 defended shots.
Jackson Jr. also averaged 1.0 steals per game and led the NBA in combined steals and blocks per game (a career high and franchise record 4.0). He became one of four players since the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award was established in the 1982-83 season to lead his team to a top 5 defensive rating while averaging at least 1.0 steals and 3.0 blocks, joining Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson and Ben Wallace.
The five-year NBA veteran was named to the 2021-22 NBA All-Defensive First Team last season. He was selected by Memphis with the fourth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft after his freshman year at MSU, where he won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2017-18.
Brooke Lopez of Milwaukee (309 points, 31 first-place votes) and Evan Mobley of Cleveland (101 points, eight first-place votes) were second and third in the voting, respectively.