The best
Kendrick Nunn
16 points, 3.5 assists per game, shooting splits of .459/.352/.803
Grade: A
Kendrick Nunn has taken the NBA by storm in his rookie season. From being off the board in the preseason Rookie of the Year odds to being the clear cut second option in a two-horse race with Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies, Nunn has made the most of his opportunity with the Miami Heat.
As a rule, rookies are bad. Kendrick Nunn has broken that rule and contributed directly to winning and is a huge reason the Heat are where they stand with the Eastern Conference’s second-best record. Nunn has won both Rookie of the Month awards in the Eastern Conference, and it would be almost impossible for a rookie to have performed better than he has so far this season.
Bam Adebayo
15.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.2 blocks, shooting splits of .587/.111/.681
Grade: A
Bam Adebayo has taken the promise of potential and quickly surpassed even the highest hopes for him at this point. Adebayo is the second star (or first star, depending on who you ask) for this Heat team.
This time a year ago he wasn’t even starting for the Heat. Not until the end of February did he crack the starting lineup and make Hassan Whiteside expendable, paving the way for a blockbuster sign-and-trade for Jimmy Butler.
Now, he’s almost certainly going to be an All-Star this season.