NBA Halloween: Playing trick-or-treat with each team’s early season trend

Miami Heat

The Heat have two Rookie of the Year candidates: Treat

To clarify, both of the Miami Heat‘s promising rookies have to be considered dark horse contenders at this point, but their hot starts shouldn’t be overlooked for two reasons: One of these guys has been tearing it up like this since NBA Summer League, and the other is just the latest gem unearthed by the Heat’s elite scouting department.

Tyler Herro has been dealing magma throughout Summer League, preseason and the Heat’s first four games. For those concerned that a healthy Jimmy Butler will cut into his production, consider that in Jimmy Buckets’ first game back, Herro dropped a career-high 29 points and seven rebounds, including a blistering 19-point barrage in the second quarter. Herro ranks sixth in rookie scoring at 16.3 points per game and fourth in rebounding at 6.3 boards per game.

As for Kendrick Nunn, the current leader in scoring among NBA rookies at 21.0 points per game, he won’t be adversely affected by Butler’s return either. Nunn won the starting job over Goran Dragic, who’s been tearing opponents up off the bench. If that situation remains simpatico, Nunn’s scoring, white-hot .486/.440/1.000 shooting line and impressive athleticism will garner him Rookie of the Year buzz alongside his teammate Herro.