Grizzlies' Jaren Jackson Jr. emerges as DPOY betting favorite after Victor Wembanyama injury
02/20/2025 04:05 PM
The Memphis Grizzlies have had a solid first two thirds of the 2024-25 NBA season, currently sitting at 36-18 ahead of Thursday evening’s matchup vs the Indiana Pacers. Jaren Jackson Jr. was recently rewarded for his efforts with a spot in the All-Star game, which took place this past weekend in San Francisco.
Jackson has been the anchor of one of the league’s best defensive units this year for the Grizzlies, having already won a Defensive Player of the Year award in the 2022-23 season. On Thursday, the San Antonio Spurs announced that superstar Victor Wembanyama would miss the remainder of the season with a blood clot, which thankfully, he is expected to make a full recovery from prior to next year.
The shocking news drastically shifted the odds for this year’s awards race, as Wembanyama will no longer make the 65-game eligibility for certain accolades, including Defensive Player of the Year. With this being the case, Jackson is now the new betting favorite to win the award with -125 odds, per the FanDuel Sportsbook. Trailing Jackson in the race is Cleveland Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley, followed by Atlanta Hawks wing Dyson Daniels.
An epic season for Jaren Jackson Jr.
Jaren Jackson Jr. would probably be the first person to say that he wouldn’t want to win any award, including Defensive Player of the Year, on account of another player going down with an injury, especially something as serious as a blood clot. Had Victor Wembanyama stayed healthy, it’s almost guaranteed that the Spurs star would have secured his first ever Defensive Player of the Year award this year, along with potentially many other accolades.
However, it will be nice to see Jackson Jr. continue to generate recognition for a Grizzlies franchise that has historically flown under the radar, including up to the present day, where they are currently in second place in the Western Conference.
Jackson has arguably overtaken Ja Morant as the Grizzlies’ best–or at least, most consistent–player this season, and is a big reason why many view Memphis as legitimate threats this year in the Western Conference.
In any case, the Grizzlies and Pacers are set to tip off at 7:00 PM ET.
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