As expected, Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant has been named this season's NBA Rookie Of The Year.
Morant, averaged 17,8 points per game, along with 3,9 rebounds and 7,3 assists through the 67 contests he participated in this season. He got the news from his head coach Taylor Jenkins, live on "Inside the NBA."
“For guys who are not heavily recruited right now, this gives them a lot of hope. ”@JaMorant reacts to being named the 2019-20 #KiaROY. pic.twitter.com/z4OypDZdvA
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) September 3, 2020
The rookie also led his team to the 'play-in' game in the Western Conference, where they lost to the Portland Trail Blazers. Memphis ended the season five games under .500 at 34-39.
The voting was conducted based on regular-season games played through March 11. The seeding games did not count toward voting for the league’s traditional end-of-season awards.
Morant, who was the No. 2 overall pick in NBA Draft 2019, broke the franchise rookie record for total assists in a season. He was also honored as the Kia NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month in October/November, December and January
The 20 year-old, who received 99 out of 100 first place votes for ROY, beat Kendrick Nunn from the Miami Heat and Zion Williamson from the New Orleans Pelicans in the final voting. Players like RJ Barrett, Eric Paschall, Brandon Clarke, Coby White and Terence Davis II also received votes.
Morant became the first Grizzlies player to win the award since Pau Gasol did back in 2002.