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The 21-year-old Morant, a Murray State product
who was the No. 2 overall pick in last year's draft, averaged
17.8 points, 7.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds in 67 games. He shot
47.7 percent from the field and 33.5 percent from beyond the
arc.
Morant received 498 points in the voting, well ahead of
second-place finisher Kendrick Nunn of the Miami Heat, who had
204 points. New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson
finished third with 140 points and got the only other
first-place vote.
During the regular season, Morant tallied 15 double-doubles and
two triple-doubles. He did not take long to make his mark on the
league, scoring a season-high 30 points on Oct. 27 against the
Brooklyn Nets.
Morant has credited his father, Tee, with instilling a strong
work ethic in him. The elder Morant used to put his son through
difficult drills in their backyard to prepare for action on the
court.
"It's been tough," Morant told reporters after Memphis drafted
him. "At a young age, jumping those tires wasn't fun. I used to
be kind of mad. But honestly, it all paid off. My dad had the
opportunity to play professionally and turned it down to stay
and raise me."
Pau Gasol was the last player to win Rookie of the Year honors
for the Grizzlies. Gasol earned the honor in the 2001-02 season.
-Field Level Media
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