Tag: defensive player of the year

The Jaren Jackson stat padding conspiracy theory, debunked

Y’all need to leave Jaren Jackson Jr. alone.

It goes without saying, but the internet can be an extremely weird place sometimes.

The weirdness reared its head on Saturday when a Reddit user posted an NBA conspiracy theory revolving around Jaren Jackson. Basically, the crux of the theory is that the Memphis Grizzlies’ team of stat keepers are fudging Jackson’s numbers to build him a better defensive player of the year case despite him missing the first 16 games of the season following an offseason foot surgery.

The Reddit user put a lot of work into the post. There were stats, videos, theories and so much more. Eventually, the post made its way from Reddit to Twitter. And, of course, it started to spread like wildfire.

People really started buying into this theory that the statisticians at Grizzlies games have some sort of bet on Jackson winning the Defensive Player of the Year award.

But, y’all. Let me be honest. If you’re a new NBA fan? This might make a ton of sense to you. Maybe you just haven’t been around the game or paying attention to the game all that much over the years.

If you’ve been around, though? This stuff isn’t surprising at all to you. You’ve seen this before so many times. It’s nothing new and probably doesn’t have anything to do with any sort of bet.

Let me explain.

DPOY finalist Micah Parsons acknowledges former Cowboys assistant

Parsons is up for the award alongside Nick Bosa and Chris Jones, but a coach who helped mold his first two pro seasons is out in Dallas. | From @ToddBrock24f7

It hasn’t taken long to figure out that Micah Parsons is a one-of-a-kind player. But in terms of this year’s play, the Cowboys linebacker is currently one of three.

Parsons has been named a finalist for this season’s Defensive Player of the Year Award, as announced by the league earlier this week. Parsons is in the running alongside 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa and Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones.

The honor may be bittersweet for Parsons, though, as he also bids farewell to one of the mentors who contributed heavily to his stellar season and his rapid ascension to the top of the NFL’s defensive mountain.

The 23-year-old had a transcendent rookie season, but his sophomore campaign may have been even more impressive. His pass-rush stats and other numbers this year stack up more than adequately with those of Bosa and Jones, even though Parsons split his snaps between edge rusher and linebacker in almost every game. (Not equally, but he certainly wasn’t a full-time line player.)

G Sacks Tkl TFL QBH FF FR PD Snaps
Micah Parsons 17 13.5 65 14 27 3 3 3 919
Nick Bosa 16 18.5 51 19 48 2 0 1 746
Chris Jones 17 15.5 44 17 29 2 1 4 916

Going beyond the basic box score, though, Parsons bested all NFL edge defenders in pass rush win rate, beating his man 30% of the time. Bosa came in at 22%; Jones led interior tackles with 21%.

The official reveal of finalist candidates is a new wrinkle this season, thanks to a first-time voting system in which Associated Press voters ranked their top five picks for MVP and top three candidates for the other traditional end-of-season accolades. The process allows for second- and third-place finishers to be more accurately identified and recognized.

Parsons attributes much of his success over his first two pro seasons to George Edwards. The Cowboys’ senior defensive assistant worked most closely with the linebackers and was often seen on the sidelines coaching up the Penn State product.

Just hours after Parsons learned he was a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year, he took to social media with his reaction to Wednesday’s news that Edwards would not be returning to the Cowboys staff.

“I wouldn’t have made so many leaps with out you!” Parsons tweeted, in part. “You will be missed!”

In 2021, under Edwards and Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Parsons was the unanimous choice for the league’s Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, but he also received five votes for Defensive Player of the Year. That ultimately went to Pittsburgh linebacker T.J. Watt.

This year, the winner of the Defensive Player of the Year Award and the other AP awards will be announced at the annual NFL Honors ceremony, taking place in Phoenix on Feb. 9, just ahead of Super Bowl LVII.

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Sauce Gardner named finalist for Defensive Rookie of the Year

Sauce Gardner named finalist for Defensive Rookie of the Year

In perhaps the most non-shocking news ever, Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner was named one of the three finalists Wednesday by the NFL and the Associated Press for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

The league leader in passes defended in 2022 became the first rookie cornerback to be named First-Team All-Pro since Hall of Fame cornerback Ronnie Lott in 1981. Other accolades for Gardner this season include a Pro Bowl selection and a spot on the All-NFL team as voted on by the Pro Football Writers of America.

The award winners will be announced at the NFL Honors on February 9, the week before Super Bowl LVII.

The other nominees for Defensive Player of the Year are defensive end Aidan Hutchinson of the Lions and cornerback Tariq Woolen of the Seahawks.

Should veteran Boston Celtics point guard Marcus Smart be in the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year race?

Voter fatigue is not something that just impacts who wins each season’s Most Valuable Player award.

Voter fatigue is not something that just impacts who wins each season’s Most Valuable Player award, it also affects most of the NBA’s regular-season awards. And that might make veteran Boston Celtics point guard Marcus Smart’s chances to repeat with the award even harder than it already is for a guard to take home that particular piece of hardware.

That begs the question of whether the Flower Mound native deserves to be in the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year race based on his play so far this season. The folks over at the “First to the Floor” podcast discussed at length with serial Marcus Smart supporter Dan Greenberg on as a guest.

Take a look at the clip embedded below to get their takes on where Smart ought to be in the DPoY race this season, why his haters are wrong, and plenty more to boot.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Raiders 2022 season awards: MVP, Rookie of the Year, Breakout player, more

Here are the #Raiders 2022 season awards including MVP, Rookie of the Year, Breakout player, and more.

There wasn’t a lot to crow about for the Raiders this season, but the awards must be given out, so that’s what I’m going to do. 

WATCH: Touching tribute for J.J. Watt’s retirement

J.J. Watt receives a touching tribute as he retires from the NFL following the 2022 campaign.

Former Wisconsin Badger J.J. Watt has officially hung up his cleats following the conclusion of the 2022 NFL season, retiring after a Hall of Fame caliber 12-year career.

The Pewaukee native laced them up for the last time in Week 18 as a member of the Arizona Cardinals, recording five tackles, including two sacks, in the team’s 38-13 loss to the 49ers.

Watt will finish his career as a three-time AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year amongst other accolades, recording 114.5 sacks as a member of the Houston Texans and the Arizona Cardinals.

On this week’s episode of Hard Knocks In Season: The Arizona Cardinals, the team put together a touching tribute video for their exiting star. Watt quickly becomes emotional as his family, friends and colleagues congratulated him on his storied career.

Hakeem Olajuwon reacts to NBA renaming Defensive Player of the Year Award after him

“That’s the crown,” Hakeem Olajuwon says of the NBA renaming its Defensive Player of the Year Award in his honor. “That sealed my career. It can’t be anything higher than that.”

Earlier this month, the NBA said its annual Defensive Player of the Year award would be renamed as The Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy in honor of the Hall of Famer and former Houston Rockets center.

On Saturday, Olajuwon spoke about the decision at the Fertitta Center on the campus of the University of Houston, where “The Dream” watched his former college basketball team improve to 14-1 this season with a win over the University of Central Florida (UCF).

“That’s the crown,” Olajuwon told Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston. “That sealed my career. It can’t be anything higher than that.”

Olajuwon was a back-to-back winner of the NBAleague’s Defensive Player of the Year award in the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons, and he was named to the All-Defensive first team five times and second team four times. He is the league’s all-time leader in blocks (3,830) while ranking No. 9 in steals (2,162) and No. 14 in rebounds (13,748).

The University of Houston product was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in 1996 and to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.  He was enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 and had his No. 34 retired in Houston on Nov. 9, 2002.

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NBA renames annual Defensive Player of Year award after Hakeem Olajuwon

“I am honored to have the opportunity to celebrate the league’s best defensive player each year,” #Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon says of the NBA’s announcement.

The NBA announced on Monday that its annual Defensive Player of the Year award has been renamed The Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy in honor of the Hall of Famer and former Houston Rockets center.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to celebrate the league’s best defensive player each year,” Olajuwon said. “Great basketball teams are defined by their ability to defend, with every great team connected by an elite defensive anchor.”

Olajuwon was a back-to-back winner of the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award in 1992-93 and 1993-94 and was named to the All-Defensive first team five times and second team four times. He is the NBA’s all-time leader in blocks (3,830) while ranking No. 9 in steals (2,162) and No. 14 in rebounding (13,748).

Steals and blocks became official NBA statistics in 1973-74, and Olajuwon is the only player who is in the top 10 of both categories. He has 774 more steals than any other center and 541 more blocks than the second-ranked player, Dikembe Mutombo. He would still be the all-time leader in blocks if he never played his final five seasons.

Only five players in NBA history have recorded more than 3,000 career blocks, and no current player has reached 1,800.

Over his first 12 NBA seasons, Olajuwon averaged 12.2 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and 1.9 steals. He averaged at least 10 rebounds and 2 blocks in each of those 12 seasons, tying Shaquille O’Neal for the most seasons recording those numbers in NBA history.

Olajuwon is also the NBA’s all-time playoff leader in blocks per game (3.26) and is the only player in postseason history with at least 300 blocks and 200 steals.

The University of Houston product was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in 1996 and to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.  He was enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 and had his No. 34 retired in Houston on Nov. 9, 2002.

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Texas LB Jaylan Ford named Dave Campbell’s defensive player of the year

Jaylan Ford continues to pick up accolades for his outstanding season. 

Texas linebacker Jaylan Ford continues to pick up accolades for his great season.

The Junior was named Dave Campbell’s Texas Football defensive player of the year, an award given to the most impactful defensive player out of all 12 FBS programs in the state of Texas.

No defender in Texas made a bigger impact on games than Ford. He was second in the state with 109 tackles and tied for first in the state with four interceptions despite playing linebacker. He was tied for second on the team with 10 tackles for loss. The junior from Frisco also recorded two sacks, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. Ford did it all for a Texas team that relied on its defense during an eight-win season. The unit only allowed 21.17 points per game.

Ford also took home first-team All-Big 12 honors after the season’s conclusion. In addition, he served as a catalyst in Texas’ bounced-back campaign on the defensive side of the ball.

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NFL Midseason Awards: Why the Cowboys’ Micah Parsons should NOT be the Defensive Player of the Year

Parsons is unquestionably a superstar, but he’s not having the best defensive season.

The most prestigious award in professional football is Most Valuable Player. It usually features the sport’s best player in an individual campaign (often a quarterback) and tells a concise, cogent story about a respective regular season. As a result, I don’t even consider it a debate.

But, to me, even at lesser acclaim, the Defensive Player of the Year award comes in a very close second. Over the years, we’ve seen all-time wrecking balls like Lawrence Taylor, J.J. Watt, and the late Reggie White build their (terrifying) reputations with a host of DPOY honors. In a sport where offense and quarterbacks come first, these are the players who usually counteract the offensive fireworks. And then some.

In 2022, we’ve got quite the horse race for Defensive Player of the Year at the approximate midseason mark. As most offenses scramble (and fail) to adjust to increasing athleticism on the edge and on the interior, individual defenders, particularly pass rushers, might be shining more than ever. For a good reason, the top contenders for this year’s DPOY (from a Swiss Army Knife in Dallas to an all-time great in Buffalo) are centerpieces on some measure of postseason contenders.

Let’s break down the stars vying for Defensive Player of the Year at the halfway point and see who stands on top of the mountain.

All odds to win DPOY via BetMGM