#2 Kendrick Nunn - Miami Heat
After going undrafted back in 2018, Kendrick Nunn was forced to spend the season with the Santa Cruz Warriors of the G-League. But Nunn seized an opportunity to practise with the Miami Heat over the summer, and the 24-year-old has quickly become a vital player for one of the NBA's most impressive teams.
Nunn has started all 33 of the Heat's games so far this season, averaging 16.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per contest. Last week he became the fastest undrafted rookie in more than 40 years to reach 500 points in a season, and he once again contributed double-figures against the Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Washington Wizards.
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With the Heat looking increasingly likely to stick with the current roster for the remainder of the season, Nunn remains well in contention to be named ROTY.
#1 Ja Morant - Memphis Grizzlies
Ja Morant has been the front-runner to be named Rookie of the Year for almost the entire season. But while his performances remain solid, the rest of the pack has closed the gap over the past few weeks.
The Grizzlies picked up wins over the Thunder and Hornets over the past week, although Morant contributed just 14 points while shooting 7 for 17 from the field.
Morant's best game came during the defeat to the Nuggets as he finished with 16 points, 8 assists and 3 rebounds. For the season, the 20-year-old still leads all rookies in points (17.4) and assists (6.5) per game.
There is undoubtedly still more to come from the dynamic point guard, and he will need to continue to improve in order to cement his status as the front-runner for the 2020 Rookie of the Year award.
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