Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, the No. 2 pick of the 2019 NBA draft, has been named the 2019-2020 Rookie of the Year.
Making a name for himself with his athletic play and awe-inspiring dunks, Morant led a young Memphis team to an unexpected postseason berth, where they lost to the Portland Trail Blazers in a play-in game for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference playoffs.
Morant received 99 of the possible 100 first-place votes, with New Orleans Pelicans forward and No. 1 pick Zion Williamson receiving the only other first-place vote. Finishing second in the voting overall was the Miami Heat’s Kendrick Nunn, who went undrafted in the 2018 draft and played in the G League last year.
The 21-year-old Moran grew up in South Carolina and was not heavily recruited coming out of high school. He ended up playing at mid-major Kentucky school Murray State, where he became a star in two seasons and saw his NBA draft stock rise quickly.
The transition to the NBA looked very easy for Morant in his rookie year. He ended the season averaging 17.8 points and 7.3 assists a game while shooting 47.7% from the field.
