Miami Heat: A bold prediction for Kendrick Nunn’s 2019-20 season
The Miami Heat are known to be able to pull the most out of any player physically and skill-wise, but apparently, they are also adept at unearthing gems.
Over the years the Miami Heat have accomplished some pretty remarkable things. From their reclamation projects to their ability to help players rehab or makeover their bodies, they are well known for what they are able to help players accomplish individually.
If you need further proof of these facts, take the case of Udonis Haslem and how they helped him go from a pudgy undersized college center at Florida, to a chiseled man of a power forward for several championship Miami Heat teams. Even deeper than that, take the case of a certain not to be named center that they just traded to Portland, who spent more time at a local YMCA than he did in the NBA for a short while until the Miami Heat helped him finally unlock his full NBA potential.
While they have been well known for the aforementioned types of exploits, they are also pretty good at taking the talent that other teams may not deem worthy, shining them up and rebranding them as gems. One of the more recent examples and success stories of this fashion is one Derrick Jones Jr who was seemingly abandoned by the Pheonix Suns a year or so ago, but has now blossomed into a key player for the Heat. Someone who looks like he will be just as important as Jones Jr. is at this point though is their next potential success story, one Kendrick Nunn.
Nunn was signed by the Warriors earlier in his career. He played for their summer league team before being invited to training camp and subsequently waived before last season. He would then go on to play for their G-League affiliate before then being signed by the Heat this past April.
Nunn really took a big step this past summer as he sort of dove onto the radars of NBA fans with his performance in the summer league. He was named to the first team of the Las Vegas NBA Summer League where he led the Miami Heat team with averages of 21 points, 5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game on 55 percent overall shooting.
Nunn was practically unstoppable at times. While some would say that a bold prediction for Nunn would be that he actually makes the Miami Heat final regular-season roster, he looks to have a pretty good shot based on that performance and the team-friendly deal he signed with the team. It is with this knowledge though that we go into his real bold prediction for the 2019-20 season.
Kendrick Nunn will be a core rotational piece for the Miami Heat by the All-Star break
There are a ton of players who can score in the NBA, most of them to be honest, but what separates a lot of players is when, where, and how they can do it. To answer those questions about Nunn, you would say frequently, from almost anywhere, and in bunches with ease. That is exactly what makes his prediction likely though.
One of the Miami Heat’s biggest issues from last season is that they didn’t have enough guys who could go and get their own when things broke down and the team needed a big bucket. While you want to believe that another year of development for some players and the addition of Jimmy Butler should help to quell that issue, you can never have too many guys that can create something out of nothing when you need it the most.
While his summer league performances were mostly against guys who won’t be in the league once the regular season starts, it did show something about Nunn. It showed off his ability to put the ball in the hoop while also contributing across the board.
While he probably won’t be able to do it at the same volume against tried and true pro’s, he should still be able to get his off at times. This is why that is Nunn’s bold prediction for this upcoming season.