Memphis Grizzlies: 2018-19 First Month Awards
By AJ Salah
Defensive Player of the Month: Marc Gasol
Marc Gasol came into this season – emblematic of the Grizzlies – with doubt about his status in the NBA’s hierarchy. After mailing in the 2017-18 season, pundits wondered aloud if the almost-34-year-old wasn’t edging into full decline.
Instead, Gasol has bounced back with a renewed spirit on defense, anchoring a unit that allows a league-low per-game scoring clip.
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His personal stats on D are simply elite: He’s eighth league-wide in defensive rating, sixth in D-win shares, and 12th in DBPM – even amid stellar team defense.
He has been quicker on his feet, attacking weak entry passes, and punishing increasingly-smaller opponents on the boards. Per The Ringer’s Dan Devine, Gasol’s defensive rebound and steals rates are both career bests.
Perhaps most impressively, he’s shut down two MVP candidates in big early wins for Memphis. Joel Embiid (14 pts on 4-15) and Nikola Jokic (4 pts on 0-1) have both felt Big Spain’s pain.
The road to Defensive Player of the Year could be more accessible with Rudy Gobert‘s Jazz sputtering, and Draymond Green in the midst of an apparent meltdown. Gasol, who won the award in 2013, is at least putting himself in the running with his performance so far.