Jaren Jackson Jr, Draymond Green Each Named To NBA All-Defensive Teams
Former Michigan State men's basketball stars Jaren Jackson Jr. and Draymond Green were each named to NBA All-Defensive teams the league announced on Friday.
Both players are former Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award winners.
Jackson Jr., who was drafted by Memphis in 2018, was a first team selection alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee), Mikal Bridges (Phoenix), Rudy Gobert (Utah) and Marcus Smart (Boston).
Jackson Jr.'s fourth season with the Grizzlies was his best as a professional. He played and started in 78 regular season games and helped Memphis to a 56-26 record, good enough for second in the Western Conference.
For the season, Jackson Jr. averaged 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 0.9 steals per game during the regular season. In 12 playoff games in 2022, Jackson Jr. averaged 15.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 0.8 steals per game.
This was Jackson Jr.'s first NBA All-Defensive team selection.
Memphis was defeated in the second round of the NBA Playoffs by the Golden State Warriors, who drafted Green in 2012.
Green was a second team NBA All-Defensive team selection this season, alongside Bam Adebayo (Miami), Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee), Matisse Thybulle (Philadelphia) and Robert Williams III (Boston).
Currently in his tenth season with Golden State, Green averaged 7.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game, but only appeared in 46 games for the Warriors. This postseason, Green has averaged 7.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.1 blocks per game for Golden State.
This is the seventh time that Green has been named to an NBA All-Defensive team, and his third time as a second team selection.
The Warriors currently hold a 2-0 lead over the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals, and are two wins away from making their sixth NBA Finals appearance since 2015.
