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Kendrick Nunn is the Rookie of the Year, according to Kendrick Nunn.
The Miami Heat guard recently named himself the 2019-20 NBA Rookie of the Year over the likes of Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant and New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson.
Nunn averaged 15.6 points, 3.4 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 62 games played prior to the NBA regular season shutting down due to the coronavirus pandemic. He ranks second among all first-year players in scoring, second in made field goals and second in 3-pointers.
Nunn pointed to the success of the Heat as the reason why he should win the award over Morant in an interview with Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel. The Heat are fourth in the Eastern Conference at 41-24 while the Grizzlies are eighth in the Western Conference with a 32-33 record.
“I’m Rookie of the Year,” Nunn said. “I think people will say that [Morant] is Rookie of the Year, but I don’t believe it. The most value should be in the wins. And we’re both starting guards on teams, and our team has been holding it down. We’re a playoff team, so go ahead and give that Rookie of the Year to Kendrick Nunn.”
The rise of Nunn to this point has been nothing short of spectacular.
Of course, he went undrafted out of Oakland in the 2018 NBA Draft and spent the entire 2018-19 season in the G League with the Santa Cruz Warriors.
The Heat took a chance on Nunn, signing him on the final day of last season. By all accounts, he took that opportunity and ran with it by becoming the opening night starter at shooting guard for the Heat.
While his season has been remarkable, it likely won’t be enough in the eyes of the voters. Morant leads all qualified rookies in scoring (17.6), field goals (393), assists (6.9) while he is also averaging 3.5 rebounds per game.
Morant is the likely frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year award but the two will certainly both be First-Team All-Rookie selections when that time comes this season.
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