Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr was chosen this morning as the ‘Best Defensive Player of the Year’ in the NBA by the specialized press, beating out the finalists Brook López (Milwaukee Bucks) and Evan Mobley (Cleveland Cavaliers).
Jackson, 23, wins this award for the first time in his career, after last year he was already part of the ‘All-Defensive’ quintet. This is the first of the annual NBA regular season awards.
With a height of 2.08 meters and a wingspan of 2.75 meters, Jackson averaged a career-high 3 blocks per game during the course. Thus, he blocked 9.58 percent of all the opponent’s shots, the seventh best record of all time. No player in the NBA this season boasted a better individual defensive rating than the Tennessee franchise’s 106.6 forward.
Jackson, who beat Brook López (Milwaukee Bucks), Evan Mobley (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors) in the vote, also achieved the best average score of his short career, with 18.6 points per game.
