Nunn on track for one of best rookie seasons in Heat history — and more Jones Jr. threes
Kendrick Nunn is in the middle of one of the best rookie seasons in Miami Heat history.
The undrafted rookie guard entered Monday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks averaging 15.8 points while shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 35.5 percent on threes, 2.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 0.8 steals in 57 games this season. Nunn ranks third in the NBA among rookies in scoring average, second in field goals made (355), second in threes made (116), third in assists (201), third in minutes played (1,1712) and third in plus/minus (plus-112).
Nunn, who has already earned the first three Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month awards handed out this season, is setting Heat rookie records along the way.
During Saturday’s win over the Brooklyn Nets, Nunn made his 114th, 115th and 116th threes of the season to set a franchise record for threes made by a rookie in a season. He surpassed the previous mark of 114 threes set by Mario Chalmers in 2008-09.
“His scoring has meant a lot to us,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Nunn. “... Kendrick has given us a lot of scoring in these random situations. He’s fearless, he can get his own shot. He has the three-point range, but he can also get to the rim. That has been very important to us.”
Nunn, 24, is also on track to set Heat rookie records for points scored and field goals made in a season, and free-throw percentage. He’s on pace to finish with 1,218 points on 479 made shots and is currently shooting 83.5 percent at the foul line.
Caron Butler holds the franchise record for total points scored by a rookie at 1,201 in 2002-03, and Glen Rice holds the franchise record for total field goals made by a rookie at 470 in 1989-90. Butler is also the owner of the Heat rookie record for free-throw percentage at 82.4 percent.
But Nunn is still not at the top scoring average for a Heat rookie in franchise history, with Dwyane Wade holding that mark at 16.2 points per game in 2003-04. To pass Wade and set a record in this category, Nunn needs to average at least 17.6 points over the final 22 games.
That’s still possible, considering Nunn is averaging 20 points while shooting 55.6 percent from the field and 45.9 percent on threes in his first six games after the All-Star break.
KEEP SHOOTING DERRICK
Even though Derrick Jones Jr. entered Monday shooting just 27.9 percent on threes for the season, Spoelstra wants the athletic Heat forward to keep taking them when defenses leave him open.
“I think Derrick’s best version offensively does a lot of different things,” Spoelstra said. “He’s a terrific screener, he’s an offensive rebounder, he’s a cutter, he gets behind the defense, he gets you extra possessions and he’s really improving rapidly with his wide-open three. That’s the thing about it, he can shoot it in his own rhythm. He has time.”
Jones, who shot 2 of 6 on threes in Saturday’s win over the Nets, is shooting 27.9 percent on open threes this season, which is defined by the NBA as when the closest defender is more than six feet away. Out of the 108 threes Jones has taken this season, 86 of them have been open shots, according to NBA Advanced Stats.
“That’s a difference-maker as his confidence grows for us,” Spoelstra said. “I want him shooting those with confidence. I see him putting in the work all the time. It’s not like he’s shooting 15 of them a game. But he’s gaining enough confidence that he’s going to hit enough and he’s trending in the right direction and he’s going to make you pay.”
▪ The Heat listed guard Tyler Herro (right ankle soreness) and Meyers Leonard (sprained left ankle) as out for Monday’s game against the Bucks. It marks the 12th consecutive game both have missed with their respective injuries.
This story was originally published March 2, 2020 at 12:58 PM.
