Luka Dončić named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for October/November
The NBA announced today that Dallas Mavericks guard/forward Luka Dončić was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for October/November.
Dončić (6-7, 218) led Dallas to an 8-2 record at home in October/November – the team’s best start through 10 home games since 2013-14.
The 6-7 Slovenian started Dallas’ first 20 games of the season and averaged a team-high 18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds (2nd on team), 4.3 assists (2nd on team) and 1.1 steals in a team-high 33.1 minutes per game. He shot 44.3 percent (129-of-291) from the field, 38.2 percent (47-of-123) from 3-point range and 79 percent (64-of-81) from the free-throw line in that stretch.
Among all rookies in 2018-19, he ranks first in scoring (18.5 ppg), fourth in rebounding (6.5 rpg), second in assists (4.3 apg), second in steals (1.1 spg), first in minutes (33.1 mpg), fifth in 3-point field goal percentage (.382) and eighth in free throw percentage (.790).
Dončić scored 20-plus points in 10 of his first 20 career games while leading the Mavericks in scoring in eight of those 20 contests (including ties).
In his second career game, the former EuroLeague MVP registered a team-high 26 points to lead Dallas to a 140-136 win over Minnesota (10/20/18). Dončić (19 years, 234 days) became the youngest Maverick to record a 20-point game.
In his seventh career game, Dončić tallied a career-high (team-high) 31 points to go along with eight rebounds and four assists in an overtime game at San Antonio (10/29/18). He also became the youngest player in franchise history (19 years, 243 days) to produce a 30-point effort.
Dončić racked up 198 points, 66 rebounds and 44 assists through his first 10 career games (10/17-11/6/18), joining Oscar Robertson (1960-61) as the only players in NBA history to reach those totals through their first 10 career NBA contests (Dončić became the first to do so as a teenager). If you include players who played in the ABA before making their NBA debuts, Connie Hawkins (1969-70) and George McGinnis (1975-76) would also be on the list.
What’s more, the 19-year-old totaled 292 points through his first 15 career games (10/17-11/17/18), marking the most points by a teenager through his first 15 games in NBA history. The previous most was 290 by Kevin Durant in 2007-08.
Dončić’s honor marks just the eighth time a Mavericks rookie has garnered the monthly award and the first since Yogi Ferrell in February 2017.
Dončić was originally selected by Atlanta with the third overall pick in this past year’s draft, before having his draft rights traded to Dallas in exchange for the draft rights to the fifth overall pick Trae Young and a protected 2019 first-round pick. Young won Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honors for October/November.
The Slovenian guard/forward was fresh off of leading Real Madrid to the 2018 EuroLeague title while becoming the youngest player ever to earn EuroLeague and EuroLeague Final Four MVP honors.
PREVIOUS MAVERICK ROOKIE OF THE MONTH AWARD WINNERS
Yogi Ferrell – February 2017
Devin Harris – November 2004
Jason Kidd – March 1995
Jay Vincent – December 1981, February 1982, March 1982
Mark Aguirre – November 1981
SOURCE: Dallas Mavericks Release
