Grizzlies' Jaren Jackson Jr. 'Definitely' Thinks He's NBA DPOY: 'I Want It Bad'

Memphis Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. believes he deserves to win the Defensive Player of the Year award for the first time in his career.

"I definitely think I'm Defensive Player of the Year," Jackson told ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "I just think I put together something special, and I want it bad."

Jackson has swatted an NBA-high 3.0 blocks per game after leading the NBA in that stat last year (2.3).

Per MacMahon, Jackson has also blocked 9.7 percent of opponents' field goal attempts while he's on the floor. That mark is the sixth-highest figure recorded since the NBA turned blocks into an official stat 50 years ago.

Memphis is also second in defensive efficiency, per ESPN.com. According to MacMahon, Memphis was 20th before Jackson made his season debut on Nov. 15 after recovering from a stress fracture in his right foot.

Jackson has made clear how much he wants to win DPOY this season, saying as much to Chris Vernon during a live show for The Ringer's Mismatch podcast from Memphis in March:

This very well could be the year for the ex-Michigan State star, who earned his first All-Star Game appearance as well. Jackson has also excelled offensively, averaging a career-high 18.3 points on 50.2 percent shooting.

We'll soon find out if Jackson takes this hardware home, but in the meantime, the second-place Grizzlies are looking to go on a deep playoff run. The franchise has never won the Western Conference, but it's a wide-open league this year, and Ja Morant, Jackson and the rest of the team could pull it off.