Jaren Jackson Jr. Named Defensive Player Of Year
Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. has been named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, the NBA on TNT tweets. Jackson received 56 of the 100 first-place votes, according to an NBA press release.
The Bucks’ Brook Lopez and Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley were the other finalists. Lopez was the runner-up, notching 31 first-place votes while Mobley received eight. Draymond Green (3) and Bam Adebayo (1) also received first-place votes and finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Joel Embiid claimed the final first-place vote, though the Sixers star finished ninth overall, behind Giannis Antetokounmpo, OG Anunoby, and Jrue Holiday. Nic Claxton, Alex Caruso, and Jimmy Butler also appeared on at least one ballot.
Jackson led the NBA in blocks per game (3.0) and also averaged one steal in 63 regular-season appearances for the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed. He had a career-best 2.0 Defensive Box Plus/Minus rating and a 3.8 Defensive Win Shares rating, ranking him among the top 10 in the league in both categories.
Lopez averaged a career-high 2.5 blocks while serving as the defensive anchor for the Eastern Conference’s top seed. His total of 193 blocks in 78 games led the league during the regular season.
Mobley averaged 1.5 blocks per game and, along with Jarrett Allen, anchored a defense that limited opponents to a NBA-low 106.9 points per game.
The Celtics’ Marcus Smart scored a rare victory for a guard when he won the award last season. Rudy Gobert won it as a member of the Jazz three of the previous four years. Antetokounmpo won it during the pandemic-shortened 2019/20 season.
Among active players, Green (2016/17 season) and Kawhi Leonard (2014/15 and 2015/16) have also earned the honor.
2023 NBA Draft Lottery Odds
The NBA will be using its revamped lottery system for the fifth time this year. The format, instituted in 2019, smoothed out the odds for top picks, reducing the league’s worst team’s chance of getting the No. 1 selection from 25.0% to 14.0%.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: NBA Draft Lottery]
The changes had an immediate impact in 2019, when the Pelicans and Grizzlies were tied for the seventh-best lottery odds, but jumped up to No. 1 and 2, respectively, allowing them to land Zion Williamson and Ja Morant.
In 2020, the Bulls and Hornets landed picks in the top four despite entering lottery night with the seventh- and eighth-best odds, respectively. That stroke of luck was especially meaningful in Charlotte, where the Hornets were able to land LaMelo Ball with the No. 3 pick.
The lottery results in 2021 and 2022 featured fewer surprises, though the seventh team in the lottery standings did move up to No. 4 in both years, allowing the Raptors to nab Scottie Barnes in 2021 and the Kings to select Keegan Murray in 2022.
Perhaps, after a couple relatively by-the-numbers lottery outcomes in a row, we’ll see a more significant shake-up in 2023. This year’s draft lottery will take place on Tuesday, May 16.
With the help of data from Tankathon.com – which is worth checking out for all sorts of draft-related info – the draft lottery odds for 2023 are listed in the chart below.
The numbers in the chart indicate percentages, so the Pistons‘ pick, for instance, has a 14% chance of becoming the No. 1 selection and a 47.9% chance of ending up at No. 5. If a team’s odds are listed as >0, that percentage is below 0.1%.
Here’s the full chart (if you’re on our mobile site or app and can’t see the whole thing, try turning your phone sideways):
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DET | 14 | 13.4 | 12.7 | 12 | 47.9 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| HOU | 14 | 13.4 | 12.7 | 12 | 27.8 | 20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| SAS | 14 | 13.4 | 12.7 | 12 | 14.8 | 26 | 7 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| CHA | 12.5 | 12.2 | 11.9 | 11.5 | 7.2 | 25.7 | 16.7 | 2.2 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| POR | 10.5 | 10.5 | 10.6 | 10.5 | 2.2 | 19.6 | 26.7 | 8.7 | 0.6 | – | – | – | – | – |
| ORL | 9 | 9.2 | 9.4 | 9.6 | – | 8.6 | 29.8 | 20.6 | 3.7 | 0.1 | – | – | – | – |
| IND | 6.8 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 7.9 | – | – | 19.7 | 35.6 | 12.9 | 1.4 | >0 | – | – | – |
| WSH | 6.7 | 7.0 | 7.4 | 7.8 | – | – | – | 32.9 | 31.1 | 6.6 | 0.4 | >0 | – | – |
| UTH | 4.5 | 4.8 | 5.2 | 5.7 | – | – | – | – | 50.7 | 25.9 | 3 | 0.1 | >0 | – |
| DAL | 3 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | 65.9 | 19 | 1.2 | >0 | >0 |
| CHI | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 77.6 | 13.5 | 0.4 | >0 |
| OKC | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 2.4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 85.2 | 6.7 | 0.1 |
| TOR | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 92.9 | 3.3 |
| NOP | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 97.6 |
Notes:
- The Mavericks‘ pick will be sent to the Knicks if it lands outside the top 10.
- The Bulls‘ pick will be sent to the Magic if it lands outside the top four.
The full pre-lottery 2023 draft order can be found right here.
2023 Pre-Lottery NBA Draft Order
The NBA conducted its draft tiebreakers on Monday, further cementing the draft order for 2023. While we’ll have to wait until the May 16 draft lottery to learn the exact order for this year’s event, we now know what most of the 58 selections look like.
Listed below is the pre-lottery 2023 NBA draft order. Each lottery team’s chances of landing the No. 1 overall pick are noted in parentheses. We’ve also included notes for picks whose status remains up in the air — for example, Chicago’s first-round pick could still technically end up with either the Bulls or Magic, while the Celtics‘, Pacers‘, and Thunder‘s exact second-round picks have yet to be locked in.
[RELATED: 2023 NBA Draft Lottery Odds]
The second-round draft order for teams with identical regular season records is the inverse of their first-round order. This rule applies even when one club made the playoffs and one didn’t. For instance, the 42-40 Timberwolves will pick ahead of the 42-40 Pelicans in the second round (though neither team still controls its pick).
We’ll provided an updated list after the May 16 lottery, once the official draft order is set, but here’s the tentative 2023 NBA draft order:
First Round:
- Detroit Pistons (14.0%)
- Houston Rockets (14.0%)
- San Antonio Spurs (14.0%)
- Charlotte Hornets (12.5%)
- Portland Trail Blazers (10.5%)
- Orlando Magic (9.0%)
- Indiana Pacers (6.8%)
- Washington Wizards (6.7%)
- Utah Jazz (4.5%)
- Dallas Mavericks (3.0%)
- Note: The Knicks will receive this pick if it falls out of the top 10.
- Orlando Magic (from Bulls) (1.8%)
- Note: The Bulls will retain this pick if it moves into the top four.
- Oklahoma City Thunder (1.7%)
- Toronto Raptors (1.0%)
- New Orleans Pelicans (0.5%)
- Atlanta Hawks
- Utah Jazz (from Timberwolves)
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Miami Heat
- Golden State Warriors
- Houston Rockets (from Clippers)
- Brooklyn Nets (from Suns)
- Brooklyn Nets
- Portland Trail Blazers (from Knicks)
- Sacramento Kings
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Indiana Pacers (from Cavaliers)
- Charlotte Hornets (from Nuggets)
- Utah Jazz (from Sixers)
- Indiana Pacers (from Celtics)
- Los Angeles Clippers (from Bucks)
Second Round:
- Detroit Pistons
- San Antonio Spurs
- Note: This pick would move to No. 33 if the Spurs end up with a higher first-round pick than the Rockets via the lottery.
- Boston Celtics (from Rockets)
- Note: This pick would move to No. 32 and would be sent to the Pacers if the Spurs end up with a higher first-round pick than the Rockets via the lottery.
- Charlotte Hornets
- Oklahoma City Thunder (from Trail Blazers)
- Note: This pick would be sent to the Celtics if the Spurs end up with a higher first-round pick than the Rockets via the lottery.
- Orlando Magic
- Oklahoma City Thunder (from Wizards)
- Note: This pick would move to No. 38 if the Wizards end up with a higher first-round pick than the Pacers via the lottery.
- Sacramento Kings (from Pacers)
- Note: This pick would move to No. 37 if the Wizards end up with a higher first-round pick than the Pacers via the lottery.
- Charlotte Hornets (from Jazz)
- Denver Nuggets (from Mavericks)
- Charlotte Hornets (from Thunder)
- Note: This pick would move to No. 42 if the Thunder end up with a higher first-round pick than the Bulls via the lottery.
- Washington Wizards (from Bulls)
- Note: This pick would move to No. 41 if the Thunder end up with a higher first-round pick than the Bulls via the lottery.
- Portland Trail Blazers (from Hawks)
- San Antonio Spurs (from Raptors)
- Memphis Grizzlies (from Timberwolves)
- Atlanta Hawks (from Pelicans)
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Cleveland Cavaliers (from Warriors)
- Indiana Pacers (from Heat)
- Note: This pick would be sent to the Thunder if the Spurs end up with a higher first-round pick than the Rockets via the lottery.
- Brooklyn Nets
- Phoenix Suns
- Minnesota Timberwolves (from Knicks)
- Sacramento Kings
- Indiana Pacers (from Cavaliers)
- Memphis Grizzlies
Chicago Bulls (from Nuggets)- Note: The Bulls forfeited this second-round pick due to free agency gun-jumping.
Philadelphia 76ers- Note: The Sixers forfeited this second-round pick due to free agency gun-jumping.
- Washington Wizards (from Celtics)
- Milwaukee Bucks
2023 NBA Draft Tiebreaker Results
Tiebreakers among teams with identical regular-season records were broken on Monday through random drawings to determine the order for this year’s draft prior to the lottery.
The results of the drawings were as follows:
- The Rockets (No. 2) won a tiebreaker with the Spurs (No. 3).
- Note: The lottery odds remain the same for both teams. The Rockets will draft ahead of the Spurs if neither lands in the top four.
- The Pacers (No. 7) won a tiebreaker with the Wizards (No. 8).
- Note: The Pacers will get one more lottery ball combination (out of 1,000) than the Wizards.
- The Bulls (No. 11) won a tiebreaker with the Thunder (No. 12).
- Note: The Bulls will get one more lottery ball combination (out of 1,000) than the Thunder. Chicago’s pick will be conveyed to the Magic if it doesn’t move into the top four.
- Note: The Bulls will get one more lottery ball combination (out of 1,000) than the Thunder. Chicago’s pick will be conveyed to the Magic if it doesn’t move into the top four.
- The Heat (No. 18) won a tiebreaker with the Warriors (No. 19, who won a tiebreaker with the Clippers (No. 20).
- Note: The Clippers’ pick will be conveyed to the Rockets.
- The Suns (No. 21) won a tiebreaker with the Nets (No. 22).
- Note: The result is negligible for the first round, since the Suns’ pick was traded to the Nets.
- The Grizzlies (No. 25) won a tiebreaker with the Cavaliers (No. 26).
- Note: The Cavaliers’ pick will be conveyed to the Pacers.
In the case of tiebreakers, second round order is the reverse of first round order except for the lottery teams. In that case, the second-round order could still change, depending on which team finishes higher in the lottery.
In the case of the three-way tie at 18-20, the Clippers will pick first in the second round at No. 48, followed by the Warriors at No. 49 and the Heat at No. 50. Golden State’s pick has been traded to the Cavaliers, while Miami’s pick will be conveyed to the Thunder or Pacers, depending on the lottery results.
The tiebreaker between the Rockets and Spurs didn’t decide which team gets the Rockets’ second-round pick, which is top-32 protected. It will be conveyed to either the Pacers or Celtics once the lottery is conducted.
Pistons To Interview Rex Kalamian For Head Coaching Job
The Pistons will interview assistant coach Rex Kalamian this week for their head coaching vacancy, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Kalamian is a veteran assistant coach who is currently in his 26th NBA season in that role. He has made previous stops with the Clippers (twice), Nuggets, Wolves, Kings (twice), Thunder and Raptors, and has been with the Pistons for the past two seasons.
It was previously reported that Kalamian might receive some consideration from GM Troy Weaver for the head coaching job after Dwane Casey decided to transition to a front office role. Kalamian previously worked with Weaver while they were with Oklahoma City.
Kalamian, who is also the head coach of the Armenian national team, served as acting head coach earlier this season when Casey missed some time due to personal reasons.
While conceding that it’s still early in the process, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack piece (subscriber link) that he’s heard “consistent buzz” that Weaver might favor Bucks assistant Charles Lee and former UConn coach Kevin Ollie for the opening. However, Stein notes that Arn Tellem, Detroit’s vice chairman, is thought to have “considerable influence” in the coaching search.
Draft Notes: K. Brown, Wong, Fudge, P.I.T.
Missouri forward Kobe Brown plans to enter the 2023 NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility, according to Matt Stahl of The Columbia Daily Tribune.
As Stahl notes, Brown is a projected second-round pick, currently No. 43 on ESPN’s big board. He was an All-SEC First Team member in 2022/23 after averaging 15.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals on an impressive .553/.455/.792 shooting line in 34 games (29.6 MPG).
Jonathan Givony of ESPN writes that Brown has some question marks surrounding his height, frame (he’s listed at 6’7″ and 240 pounds) and defense, but the 23-year-old has a high skill level that seems like it would translate well to the NBA, as he’s a versatile offensive player with a high basketball IQ who can dribble, pass, shoot and score from all over the court.
Brown is a senior, but he has one year of eligibility left due to COVID-19.
Here are a few more draft-related notes:
- Miami guard Isaiah Wong is declaring for the draft, the team announced (via Twitter). He tested the draft waters in both 2021 and 2022, so he’ll go pro this time around (college prospects can’t withdraw from the draft more than twice). A three-time All-ACC honoree, Wong was named ACC Player of the Year as a senior in ’22/23 after averaging 16.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals on .445/.384/.845 shooting in 37 games (33.4 MPG). He helped lead the Hurricanes to a Final Four appearance this season, ultimately losing to eventual champion UConn. Wong is ranked No. 71 on ESPN’s board, so he’s considered a fringe second-round pick.
- Florida forward Alex Fudge will forgo his remaining college eligibility and enter the draft, sources tell Jacob Rudner of Swamp247. As Rudner writes, Fudge had a solid start to ’22/23, but his numbers declined after sustaining a concussion in late January. He wound up averaging 5.8 points and 4.5 rebounds on .397/.229/.589 shooting in 32 games (19.3 MPG) as a redshirt sophomore for the Gators. Viewed as a solid defender, Fudge is not listed on ESPN’s board, which ranks the top 100 prospects ahead of the 2023 draft.
- Jon Chepkevich of RookieScale.com provides the measurements and athletic testing numbers of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament attendees (Twitter link). The P.I.T. is a showcase for the year’s top senior prospects. Jimmy Butler, Derrick White, Richaun Holmes and Kendrick Nunn are among the many current NBA players who have taken part in the P.I.T. in previous years.
Pistons Get Permission To Interview Brian Keefe, Jarron Collins
The Pistons have received permission to interview Nets assistant Brian Keefe in their head coaching search, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. Wojnarowski mentioned Keefe as a potential candidate for the job last week.
Keefe has been with five NBA teams since joining the Spurs as a video coordinator in 2006. He worked with Detroit general manager Troy Weaver in Oklahoma City and has spent the last two seasons with Brooklyn.
Detroit was also granted permission by the Pelicans to interview assistant Jarron Collins, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Collins played 11 NBA seasons with the Jazz, Suns, Clippers and Trail Blazers and won three NBA titles as a member of the Warriors’ coaching staff. He came to New Orleans when head coach Willie Green was hired in 2021.
Interviews are expected to begin this week, Charania adds.
The Pistons are casting a wide net in their effort to replace Dwane Casey, who announced plans to transition to the front office after the regular season ended. They have already set up an interview with Kevin Ollie and have received permission to talk with Bucks assistant Charles Lee.
Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin and Heat assistant Chris Quinn are also expected to be candidates for the job, and former Celtics coach Ime Udoka and Bulls assistant Josh Longstaff have been mentioned as well.
Heat Notes: Herro, D. Robinson, Starting Lineup, Love
The Heat picked up a surprising win in Game 1 at Milwaukee, but they’ll have to figure out a way to finish off the series without Tyler Herro, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Herro broke two fingers on his shooting hand on Sunday and is projected to be sidelined for four to six weeks.
The injury happened as Herro dove for a loose ball in the closing minutes of the first half, Chiang notes. He stayed on the court until the buzzer sounded, and the team announced at halftime that he wouldn’t return. He’s Miami’s third-leading scorer at 20.1 PPG and one of its best three-point shooters at 37.8%.
“You can’t fully make up what Tyler has been for our team all year long,” Jimmy Butler said. “But guys got to step up, including myself, including Bam (Adebayo) and whoever (coach Erik Spoelstra) calls upon to do an offensive assignment, a defensive assignment, to bring some energy, to dive on the floor, get a loose ball or rebound. It’s like all hands on deck at all times and now more than ever.”
There’s more on the Heat:
- Duncan Robinson started the second half in place of Herro, but he may not be the best choice for that role going forward, Chiang adds. Max Strus has already taken over a starting job, and Chiang notes that the Heat were outscored by 15.5 points per 100 possessions during the 316 minutes that Robinson and Strus played together during the regular season.
- Chiang cites Victor Oladipo, Caleb Martin, Kyle Lowry and Kevin Love as other choices to replace Herro in the starting lineup. Oladipo fell out of Miami’s rotation over the last month of the regular season and didn’t play at all Sunday; Martin was replaced in the starting lineup after Love signed with the team in February; and Lowry has been effective off the bench since returning from a knee issue. Love would provide more size in the starting lineup, along with outside shooting to help make up for Herro’s absence.
- Love’s transition to Miami hasn’t always been smooth, but he came through in his first playoff game with the team, Chiang states in a separate story. The veteran big man had 18 points off the bench in 23 minutes, hitting 5-of-9 shots from the field and going 4-of-7 from three-point range. “You can just never underestimate the decorated veteran experience of guys that have been proven winners, and that’s what Kevin brought us tonight,” Spoelstra said.
Central Notes: Giannis, Lasry, Pacers, Travers
The Bucks are optimistic that Giannis Antetokounmpo will be able to return from his back injury for Game 2, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. It’s a “pain-tolerance issue,” Charania states, noting that the team “played it safe” by removing him from Sunday’s contest. Charania adds that the injury might be an ongoing concern even if Antetokounmpo is able to play Wednesday, and he’s dealing with a wrist ligament issue as well.
Antetokounmpo landed on his tailbone after a drive to the basket early in the game, writes Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He returned to the court in the second quarter, but was moving awkwardly, prompting coach Mike Budenholzer to replace him to prevent any further damage. X-rays were negative, but the team isn’t sure what Antetokounmpo’s condition will be when the series resumes.
“We have to wait and see what the doctor says, most importantly, what Giannis says,” Budenholzer said Sunday. “Certainly we’ve been blessed with him being incredibly resilient and quick to heal, but you just got to take it day by day and see how he’s doing and see how he feels.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- In another Journal Sentinel story, former Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry talks to Owczarski about his decision to sell his stake in the franchise to the Haslam Sports Group. Lasry helped Milwaukee become one of the league’s most successful teams during nine years as an owner. “It’s been a phenomenal experience,” he said. “I think the city of Milwaukee has been great. I’ve been surprised at sort of how welcoming and how nice the people of Milwaukee are. They welcomed us when we came here. I think we’ve been able to establish roots here. It’s been a pretty unique experience.”
- The Pacers prioritized the development of their young players this year, but they will approach the 2023/24 season with the goal of reaching the postseason, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. “Next year, we want to be in the playoffs,” Tyrese Haliburton said. “We’re not going to short-change that at all. We know that’s what we want to do. That’s 100% the goal going into next year.”
- Australian swingman Luke Travers, who was selected by the Cavaliers with the 56th pick in last year’s draft, has signed a three-year deal with Melbourne United in the NBL, writes Olgun Uluc of ESPN. It’s not clear if the deal includes an opt-out clause, but Travers said he moved from Perth to Melbourne to improve his NBA prospects. “It’s the track record they have of developing guys to the NBA,” Travers explained.
Grizzlies Notes: Morant Injury, Jones, Jackson
The Grizzlies haven’t determined Ja Morant‘s status going forward, but the scene in the locker room wasn’t encouraging after Sunday’s loss to the Lakers, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Morant kept his right hand at his side after hurting it on a collision with Anthony Davis in the fourth quarter. He used his left hand to check his phone, put on headphones and get dressed after a shower, raising questions about whether he can be ready when the series resumes Wednesday night.
Morant appeared to reaggravate a bruise on his hand that he suffered in the next-to-last game of the season. An X-ray on the hand Sunday was negative, but Morant described his pain level as “about a 10” and admitted there was “doubt” that he can be ready for Game 2.
“I’m gonna do anything to try to be out there for my team, be out there on the floor, pretty much how much I can tolerate, to like I can go out there and be somewhat like myself,” he said. “ If not, I don’t want to do anything to hurt the team.”
Vardon notes that most of Morant’s difficulties this season have been self-inflicted, with the most obvious being an eight-game suspension last month after posting a video of himself with a gun in a Denver-area nightclub. That seemed to be weighing on him as he considered the injury he suffered Sunday, Vardon states.
“It’s very tough, stressful,” Morant said. “Obviously, I feel like you guys can tell my body language and stuff now. Pretty much taking what happened, I don’t know, I’m numb to everything right now. It’s like, I’m not even surprised. It’s one thing after another.”
There’s more from Memphis:
- The suspension gave the Grizzlies a chance to get used to playing without Morant, so they have some confidence even if he can’t be ready for Wednesday, Vardon adds. Backup point guard Tyus Jones made 22 starts this season, averaging 16.4 points and 8.1 assists per game in that role, and Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. look to score more often when Morant is out. “We’ve been in that position before without him on the floor, and Tyus is obviously capable to play a big role and make plays on both ends of the floor,” Bane said. “You know, so, hopefully, Ja is back Wednesday, but if not, Ty will be ready to go.”
- Jackson was a bright spot for Memphis with 31 points while hitting 13 of his 21 shots from the field, notes Damichael Cole of The Commercial Appeal. Jackson was one of the league’s best interior players over the last month of the regular season and he looked like a mismatch for LeBron James in Game 1, Cole adds.
- The Lakers may now be the favorites to win the series considering Sunday’s performance and the uncertainty surrounding Morant, contends Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.