on March 15th, the NBA officially announced the latest defensive player list, Brook Lopez continued
Leading the pack, Jaren Jackson Jr. followed closely behind in second and Evan Mobley in third.
The following is the detailed list:
1. Brook Lopez, Milwaukee Bucks
Protecting the rim for the Milwaukee Bucks is one thing, but playing for Giannis Antetokounmpo and clashing with Trey Lyles is what really takes Dalow’s defense to the next level.
He leads the league in total blocks (169) and block percentage (67.1 percent) this season.
Recovering from back surgery is a big part of why the Bucks went from 14th in defense last season to one of only three teams allowing fewer than 110.0 points per 100 possessions this season.
In addition, his activity on the court is unmatched. Lopez has interfered with the opponent’s shots a total of 1,162 times this season, averaging as many as 17.3 times per game, while Mobley, who ranks second in total, has only 749 times.
Clarkston, who averaged second per game, only had 11.9 shots.
2. Jaren Jackson Jr. Memphis Grizzlies
From Morant’s suspension to Dillon’s technical foul suspension to Brandon Clark’s season-ending Achilles tear, Jalen Jr. has been the backbone of the team, and most of his contributions have come on the defensive end.
This season, he leads the league in blocks per game (3.1), defensive efficiency (103.7) and defensive win shares (0.155), and the Grizzlies also maintain the league’s best defensive efficiency (109.4).
But Jackson’s foul numbers are still on the rise, committing as many as 4.1 fouls per game since the last time this list was last, while blocking shots per game (2.5) has also declined over the same period.
Based on his 27.8 minutes per game, he’s still playing fewer minutes than any other DPOY winner except Michael Cooper (27.5 minutes) 36 years ago.
No other best defensive player has averaged less than 30 minutes per game.