Dallas Mavericks phenom Luka Dončić is once again the NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month.
The guard/forward was given the honor for games played in February. He also won the award in November, December and January -- so in each of the first four months of the season.
Dončić is the first Dallas Mavericks player to receive the honor four or more times in a season. In 1981-82, Mavs rookie Jay Vincent won three awards.
As amazing an accomplishment as four straight is, Dončić isn't the first to reach this mark. In 2015-16, Karl-Anthony Towns won six straight Western Conference Rookie of the Month awards for the Minnesota Timberwolves; in 2013-2014, Damian Lillard won six straight for the Portland Trailblazers. Blake Griffin did the same for the Pistons in 2010-11.
Below is more on Dončić from the Mavericks.
Dončić (6-7, 218), who turned 20 years old on Feb. 28, averaged team highs of 24.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game in eight games (all starts) in February. He scored 18-plus points in all eight games, including 20-plus points six times and 35 points once. He also recorded six double-doubles and two triple-doubles during the month.
The former EuroLeague MVP began the month with a 35-point, 11-rebound, six-assist performance in Dallas' 111-98 win at Cleveland on Feb. 2. He became the first teenager in NBA history to record multiple 35-point, 10-rebound, five-assist games (35 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists vs. Toronto on Jan. 27). Dončić also surpassed 1,000 career points against the Cavaliers on Feb. 2 (in career game No. 50).
The 6-7 Slovenian finished the month with a 26-point, 10-rebound, seven-assist effort in Dallas' 110-101 victory over Indiana on Feb. 27 (the last day before his 20th birthday).
Dončić has increased his scoring average in each of the first four months of the season (18.5 ppg in October/November, 21.1 ppg in December, 22.4 ppg in January, 24.4 ppg in February). He became the first player to win the NBA Rookie of the Month Award in each of the first four months of the season since Karl-Anthony Towns in 2015-16 (Towns won it all six times that year).
The rookie guard/forward is averaging a team-high 20.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, a team-high 5.7 assists, 1.0 steal and 32.2 minutes per game this season. He is one of only six NBA players averaging at least 20 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists per game in 2018-19. Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Blake Griffin, Russell Westbrook and Nikola Jokić are the others - all of whom were named All-Stars this year.
Among all rookies in 2018-19, Dončić ranks first in scoring (20.9 ppg), second in rebounding (7.3 rpg), second in assists (5.7 apg), fifth in steals (1.0 spg) and first in minutes (32.2 mpg). He would become just the second rookie in league history to average at least 20-7-5 for a season, joining Oscar Robertson.
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 his third Kia NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month Award in February (he also garnered the award for November and January).
DALLAS MAVERICKS ROOKIE OF THE MONTH AWARD WINNERS
Luka Dončić - November 2018, December 2018, January 2019, February 2019
Yogi Ferrell - February 2017
Devin Harris - November 2004
Jason Kidd - March 1995
Jay Vincent - December 1981, February 1982, March 1982
Mark Aguirre - November 1981
