Page 15 - aruba-today-20230419

A15
SPORTS Wednesday 19 april 2023

Jackson wins defensive player of year over Lopez, Mobley

By TIM REYNOLDS ished 10th in the balloting in
AP Basketball Writer 2020, a season in which his
Nobody blocked more Milwaukee teammate Gi-
shots per game, nor had annis Antetokounmpo took
better defensive numbers home both that award and
at the rim this season, than MVP.
Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr. Lopez blocked a career-
And voters noticed. best and league-high 193
The Memphis big man was shots this season, plus con-
announced Monday night tested 17.5 shots per game
as the NBA’s defensive by far the most of anyone
player of the year, becom- in the league.
ing the second player to Golden State’s Draymond
win the award while wear- Green was fourth, followed
ing a Grizzlies’ uniform. He by Miami’s Bam Adebayo
joins Marc Gasol in that in fifth, Antetokounmpo in
club, after the Spaniard did sixth, Toronto’s O.G. Anuno-
it a decade ago. by and Milwaukee’s Jrue
Jackson led the league Holiday tied for seventh,
with 3.0 blocks per game Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid
this season, after finishing and Brooklyn’s Nic Claxton
fifth in the defensive player tied for ninth, Chicago’s
of the year voting last sea- Alex Caruso in 11th and Mi-
son. He got 56 first-place Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3), center, loses control of the ball between Memphis ami’s Jimmy Butler in 12th.
votes and 391 voting points Grizzlies forwards Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) and Dillon Brooks (24) during Game 1 of a first-round NBA The award was the first ma-
basketball playoff series Sunday, April 16, 2023, in Memphis, Tenn.
to finish ahead of runner-up Associated Press jor individual one to be an-
Brook Lopez of the Milwau- nounced by the league this
kee Bucks, who got 31 first- in the league among those also tells the story. Jackson sive offensively but really season.
place votes and 309 points. with at least 300 shots de- wasn’t ready for the start of unleash me defensively to Three more awards are
Cleveland’s Evan Mobley fended there, and was an the season because his sur- go out there and do what- scheduled to be revealed

in just his second NBA sea- obvious plus on Memphis’ gically repaired right foot ever,” Jackson said. later this week Coach of
son was third with eight path to the No. 2 seed in needed more recovery Lopez, the runner-up, had the Year (Sacramento’s
first-place votes and 101 the Western Conference time. And Memphis was, never been this close to a Mike Brown, Oklahoma
points. playoffs. well, not great on defense major individual award in City’s Mark Daigneault or
“Team defense really helps “Hands down, no-brainer, while waiting for Jackson to his 15 NBA seasons. Boston’s Joe Mazzulla) will
us. It goes a long way,” JJ’s definitely defensive get ready. Even though he’s always be announced Wednes-
Jackson said on the TNT player of the year,” Mem- Jackson gave Jenkins and been a shot-blocker he’s day and Sixth Man of the
broadcast that announced phis coach Taylor Jenkins the Grizzlies’ staff much swatted 1.8 per game Year (Boston’s Malcolm
the award. said earlier this month. credit for his role in helping throughout his career – this Brogdon, Milwaukee’s Bob-
The shooting percentage Jenkins could get into all him win the award. was the first time that Lopez by Portis Jr. or New York’s
that Jackson allowed at the analytics that he wants, “They’ve instilled the confi- was a serious candidate for Immanuel Quickley) will be
the rim 46.9% was the best but the simple eye test dence in me to be aggres- the DPOY award. He fin- revealed Thursday.q

MLB uses Atlantic League to test more rule changes

By DAVID BRANDT able to return to the game. League since 2019, help- experimental rules have play and other means of
AP Sports Writer The “double-hook” des- ing the sport test new rules. aimed to emphasize ath- giving fans the game they
PHOENIX (AP) — Major ignated hitter rule al- Some of the rules have leticism, improved pace of want to see.”q
League Baseball isn’t done lows teams to use the DH stuck and eventually been
tinkering with potential rule throughout the game as used in the big leagues,
changes for the sport. long as the starting pitcher while others haven’t.
The league announced a throws at least five innings. MLB has debuted a series
series of experimental rules If that doesn’t occur, the of rules changes this season
Tuesday that will be used team loses its DH and the that were tested through-
in the Atlantic League this pitcher’s spot would bat out the minors, including
season, including a desig- for the remainder of the the Atlantic League. The
nated pinch runner, “dou- game. The rule was also new pitch clock has shaved
ble-hook” designated hit- used in the Atlantic League about 30 minutes off game
ter rule and further limita- last season. times through the season’s
tions on a pitcher’s ability There’s also a single dis- first three weeks, while lim-
to make pickoff moves. engagement rule, which its on the infield shift and
The designated pinch run- means pitchers can only bigger bases have helped
ner rule allows a player who take their foot off the rub- boost offense. “We thank
is not in the starting lineup to ber once per at-bat to at- the Atlantic League for their
be used at any point of the tempt a pickoff or reset the continued partnership,” Chicago White Sox’s Tim Anderson, right, slides safely into
game as a substitute baser- pitch clock. The Atlantic said Morgan Sword, MLB’s second with a stolen base ahead of a tag-attempt by Pittsburgh
Pirates second baseman Rodolfo Castro (14) during the seventh
unner. The player who was League is an independent, Vice President of Baseball inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, April 8, 2023.
subbed out, as well as the minor league that has been Operations, in a statement. Associated Press
pinch runner, would still be a designated MLB Partner “In recent years, the ALPB’s