Jaren Jackson Jr.

It does not take Jaren Jackson Jr. very long to make a defensive impact — all of seven seconds to be exact. The Memphis Grizzlies forward gets right to work immediately after the opening tip against the Phoenix Suns, turning what looked like a Mikal Bridges layup in traffic into an emphatic rejection off the glass from behind. Jackson Jr.’s timely denial got the blood pumping early, and his eight points, four rebounds and three blocks helped keep his squad in the fight until the final seconds on January 22, 2023.