NBA: Morant still leads ROTY race

1. Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies): Morant was the #2 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Murray State and he was instantly the favorite for Rookie of the Year as he exploded onto the scene in the first month of the year. The Grizzlies are 32-33 right now, good enough for 8th in the West, and he's been the best player on the team. Morant is averaging 17.6 points, 6.9 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game on 49/36/77 splits.

2. Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans): Williamson was the #1 pick in the draft after one season at Duke but he's different than the others on this list because he missed 45 games. That's going to be difficult to recover from in the Rookie of the Year race, but he'll be an All-Star for years to come. Williamson is averaging 23.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game through 19 games, as the Pelicans have gone 10-9 in games he's played.

3. Kendrick Nunn (Miami Heat): Nunn has been the surprise of the race after going undrafted out of Providence. The Miami Heat guard had a really good Summer League and carried that momentum into the regular season, putting up 15.6 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game, to go along with 44/36/83 splits, which rival Morant's. Miami is 41-24 and 4th in the East so if there is a playoff, keep an eye on Nunn's scoring ability.

4. R.J. Barrett (New York Knicks): Barrett was drafted right behind Williamson and Morant, also after one season at Duke, and he's had a pretty good rookie campaign. Although he has dealt with injuries, he's averaged14.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. He desperately needs to improve his efficiency, though, as he's hitting just 32% of his 3-pointers and 61.4% of his free throws. The Knicks sit at 21-45 and 12th in the conference standings.

5. Eric Paschall (Golden State Warriors): Paschall went from Fordham to Villanova, before being drafted 41st overall in the second round by the Warriors. It wasn't a talked about selection on draft night but after 65 games, Paschall has averaged 14.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. Golden State has struggled with injuries and too much reliance on young players, but Paschall has proven to be a solid role player going forward.

Next in line:

6. Coby White (Chicago Bulls)

7. Tyler Herro (Miami Heat)

8. De'Andre Hunter (Atlanta Hawks)

9. Rui Hachimura (Washington Wizards)

10. Brandon Clarke (Memphis Grizzlies)

Photo Credit: NBA.