Kendrick Nunn has parlayed a strong Summer League into what looks to be a whole lot more. The Miami Heat guard is in the thick of the Rookie Of The Year conversation.
Kendrick Nunn certainly had to battle his way to where he’s at now. Of course, this battle was at least in part for reasons of his own making, but he’s made the most of the opportunities he’s earned with the Miami Heat in his rookie season.
He was signed for as close to free as you can get in the NBA, for $4,737 at the end of last season. Nunn had to make his way through Summer League, where he was named First Team All-Summer League thanks to his strong performance, and that was enough to open the door to a potential roster spot.
Kendrick Nunn has done much more than make the roster, or even just crack the rotation. Both of these were likely top-end goals for him as recently as summer, but he’s exceeded even the most optimistic expectations so far.
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With Dion Waiters, Justise Winslow and Goran Dragic all missed much or all of the season so far, Nunn was pressed into action in the starting lineup and he’s taken advantage of the opportunity.
Nunn’s surge has been meteoric. Entering the season, according to industry-leading online sportsbook BetOnline, as of October 22nd the 23-year-old Nunn was off the board as a candidate for Rookie Of The Year. Even if you had the urge for a sweat, you couldn’t have placed a bet on him to win.
That’s a long shot.
BetOnline started to catch on quick to his early performance. In October he started all five games, shooting 51.8 percent from the floor, 48.4 percent from 3-point range and averaging 22.4 points in 31.6 minutes per game. As of November 1st, Nunn was up to sixth in the Rookie Of The Year odds at 10/1.
Of course, his leap through the ranks was aided by Zion Williamson‘s preseason injury, opening the race up to the field, but again as we’ve established, Nunn takes advantage of opportunities when they present themselves.
Nunn has continued to leap up the board. As of this writing he is the second in Rookie Of The Year odds on BetOnline, behind only Ja Morant, who was drafted second overall behind Williamson.
As it stands now, Morant is a heavy favorite at 1/2 (or -200, meaning your $200 wager nets you $100 if he was to win), while Nunn follows at 5/1 (or -500, meaning your $100 wager would net you $500 if he won).
So far through 29 games, Nunn has 29 starts, averaging 16.5 points and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 45.3 percent from the floor and 36.1 percent from 3-point range.
Whether this hot start continues or wanes for Kendrick Nunn, the Miami Heat have found themselves a vital piece either for their own depth or for a trade that can help the organization more down the road.