Nunn, Herro earn rookie honors

Kendrick Nunn has become the first Miami Heat player named first-team NBA All-Rookie since Michael Beasley in 2009, with the league this week announcing the units that honor first-year players.

In addition, Heat guard Tyler Herro was selected second-team All-Rookie in the media balloting, giving the Heat their first pair of All-Rookie selections since Mario Chalmers was selected second-team AllRookie in 2009. Herro finished one point from being named to the first team.

Nunn, who finished as runner-up in voting for 2020 NBA Rookie of the Year to Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant after going undrafted out of Oakland University in 2018, becomes the sixth Heat first-team All-Rookie selection, following Sherman Douglas (1990), Steve Smith (1992), Caron Butler (2003), Dwyane Wade (2004) and Beasley.

Herro, selected at No. 13 in the 2019 NBA draft out of Kentucky, becomes the seventh Heat player named second-team All-Rookie, following Kevin Edwards (1989), Glen Rice (1990), Willie Burton (1991), Udonis Haslem (2004), Justise Winslow (2016) and Chalmers.

Morant was a unanimous choice in the balloting, with 200 points and 100 first-place votes, followed on the first team by Nunn (197, 98), Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke (189, 92), New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (176, 87) and Golden State Warriors forward Eric Paschall (116, 28).

The voting for the second team was Herro (115 points, 23 first-place votes), Toronto Raptors guard

Terence Davis II (96, 30), Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (90, 8), Charlotte Hornets forward P.J. Washington Jr. (88, 8) and Washington Wizards forward Rui Hachimura (74, 10).

Voting was conducted based on regular-season games played through March 11, the day the league shut down due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. The seeding games, which were played July 30-Aug. 14 as part of the 2019-20 season restart, did not count toward the balloting, with eight teams not invited for the resumption.

Nunn connected on 137 3-pointers this season, the most by a Heat rookie, while Herro hit 116, the second-most by a rookie in franchise history. Both surpassed the previous record of 114 set by Chalmers. Additionally, Nunn and Herro became just the second pair of rookies in NBA history to each eclipse 100 made 3s during the same season.

Both Nunn and Herro were selected to play in February’s Rising Stars game during All-Star weekend, which Herro missed due to injury.

Nunn was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for October/ November, December and January, becoming the first undrafted rookie in NBA history to win the award multiple times and just the second Heat player to earn the award more than once, joining Butler (four times).

Herro became the youngest player (19 years, 276 days) in franchise history to start a game, when he did so against the visiting Memphis Grizzlies on opening night Oct. 23.

He later connected on seven 3-pointers Jan. 22 against the Washington Wizards, the most by a Heat rookie.