Miami's Kendrick Nunn argues case for NBA Rookie of the Year plum
MANILA, Philippines — Miami Heat point guard Kendrick Nunn on Tuesday said he deserved to win Rookie of the Year honors for the NBA's 2019-2020 season more than Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant.
In an interview with the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the 24-year-old pointed to his team's success in making his case for rookie honors.
The Heat sit at the fourth spot in the top-heavy Eastern Conference, sporting a 41-24 record with a winning percentage of 63%.
"I think most people will say that [Morant] is Rookie of the Year, but I don't believe it. The most value should be in the wins," Nunn said.
"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."
https://t.co/HVFc4rq5Nb pic.twitter.com/8Hx0BtqsaG
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) April 13, 2020
Morant's 32-33 Grizzlies, though, are actually also a playoff contender as they sit at eighth place in the more competitive Western Conference by the time the NBA was suspended due to the novel coronavirus.
Once reports of Nunn's dispute came out on social media, Morant could only respond with an sly but ominous laugh posted to his Twitter account.
Drafted out of Murray State University, Morant was selected with the second pick in the 2019 NBA draft and went on to post unprecedented numbers for a rookie.
Per Basketball Reference, the spitfire guard averaged 17.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 6.9 assists on 30 minutes played per game as his team's first scoring option — all in his first season in the league.
In our Rookie of the Year poll, all 70 members gave @JaMorant their first-place votes ????
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 24, 2020
Read more from @TimBontemps here: https://t.co/zVyBDg14PK pic.twitter.com/SiY8KNbKhr
According to ESPN's Rookie of the Year poll in late March, which invited 70 anonymous media members, Morant placed first with all 70 tagging him as their ROTY.
New Orleans Pelicans sensation and number one draft pick Zion Williamson followed with 51 second place votes and 11 third place votes, while Nunn notched 14 second place votes and 35 third place selections.
READ: Morant leads Williamson in ESPN's NBA Rookie of the Year poll
Nunn, for his part, has been one of the best parts of the Miami Heat's surprisingly dominant season, posting averages of 15.6 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in 29.8 minutes a contest as part of the team's starting lineup.
But the contest between the two will have to wait, as the NBA still lies in the inertia caused by COVID-19.
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