Memphis Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. is making a strong case for the Defensive Player of the Year award, and he has gotten a new nickname with it: The Block Panther!
Apparently, the amazing new nickname is catching on, and by the looks of it, JJJ is loving it as well. In fact, he autographed a sign board with the said nickname and edited photo from the Marvel film “Black Panther.”
It’s catching on… and Jaren signed it! pic.twitter.com/pfjX1IkEan
— Drew Hill (@DrewHill_DM) January 29, 2022
Even better, Jaren Jackson Jr. is living up to the nickname. On Friday against the Utah Jazz, the 22-year-old big man recorded six blocks on top of 18 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals. He was pivotal in limiting Utah to109 points as they went away with a 10-point victory.
According to Stat Muse, JJJ now has 50 blocks for the month of January, which is 19 more than the next player on the list. He is now second in the league in blocks per game at 2.3, with Myles Turner ahead at 2.8. However, the Grizzlies youngster has played eight more games and has actually been more impactful for the Grind City squad.
It remains to be seen if Jackson can win the award, but there is no doubt he has catapulted himself into the conversation among the game's elite defensive players. Plus, he really got a cool nickname with it!
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