De’Aaron Fox scored 38 points Monday to lead the Kings to a victory, and after the game, two of his teammates said he’s playing like an All-Star this season.
When you play the game the right way, accolades come your way. Kings rookie Tyrese Haliburton is a prime example of this notion.
Haliburton has been named the NBA’s Western Conference Rookie of the Month for December/January, the league announced Tuesday.
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Taken with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Haliburton has been a breath of fresh air for the Kings franchise. He has a knack for hitting clutch shots and tends to make the right decisions on the court more often than not.
On the season, the 20-year-old guard is averaging 10.7 points, 5.4 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 28.8 minutes off the Kings’ bench. He’s shooting 46.5 percent from the field and 40.9 percent from 3-point range.
RELATED: Fox looks like All-Star with 38-point effort in Kings' win
During his first 18 games, Haliburton has proven to be a steady hand for Sacramento, averaging just 1.6 turnovers per game and posting nearly a 4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
NBA
This is the first Rookie of the Month award for a Kings player since March of 2017 when Buddy Hield took home the recognition just weeks after arriving in Sacramento via trade from the New Orleans Pelicans.
It’s early, but Haliburton is in the running for the NBA’s Rookie of the Year trophy, although he’ll have some stiff competition from Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball and Warriors rookie James Wiseman.