Wizards’ John Wall, Clippers’ Blake Griffin named T-Mobile Rookies of the Month
NEW YORK – The Washington Wizards’ John Wall and the Los Angels Clippers’ Blake Griffin today were named the Eastern and Western Conference T-Mobile Rookies of the Month, respectively, for games played in January.
Wall led all Eastern Conference rookies in scoring (13.9 ppg), assists (10.5 apg) and double-doubles in the month. He also became the first rookie in NBA history to have nine or more assists in 10 straight games. In addition, Wall’s 168 assists in the month were the most by a rookie since Mark Jackson had 172 assists in 1988.
Griffin led all rookies in scoring (26.0 ppg), rebounding (13.4 rpg) and ranked second in assists (4.4 apg). He became only the fourth rookie over the last 20 seasons to average at least 25 points and 10 rebounds in a calendar month.
Here is a recap of the month for both Wall and Griffin:
John Wall, Washington Wizards
Jan. 5 @ Philadelphia: Scored 18 points and had 14 assists in a 109-97 loss to the 76ers.
Jan. 11 vs. Sacramento: Tallied 22 points, six rebounds, nine assists and two steals in a 136-133 victory over the Kings.
Jan. 17 vs. Utah: Registered 19 points and a career –high 15 assists in a 108-101 win over the Jazz.
Jan. 22 vs. Boston: Posted 16 points, six rebounds and four assists in a 85-83 victory over the Celtics.
Blake Griffin, LA Clippers
Jan. 5 vs. Denver: Scored 22 points, 18 rebounds, seven assists and one block in a 106-93 victory over the Nuggets.
Jan. 12 vs. Miami: Recorded 24 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, one block and one steal in a 111-105 win over the Heat.
Jan. 17 vs. Indiana: Posted 47 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and one block in a 114-107 win over the Pacers.
Jan. 22 vs. Golden State: Tallied 30 points, 18 rebounds and eight assists in a 113-109 victory over the Warriors.
Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference T-Mobile Rookies of the Month were Detroit’s Greg Monroe, New York’s Landry Fields, Philadelphia’s Evan Turner, Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins and San Antonio’s Gary Neal.
Building upon its already strong appeal to the nation’s youth and as Official Partner of the NBA, T-Mobile is showcasing the NBA’s youngest players — the Rookies — through the T-Mobile Rookie Program. Highlights include rookie awards presentations such as the T-Mobile Rookies of the Month and T-Mobile Rookie of the Year, and the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, an All-Star competition between NBA rookies and second-year players. During NBA All-Star 2011, T-Mobile and the NBA will host more than 3,500 students from the Los Angeles Unified School District to watch the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam from the best seats in the house at STAPLES Center on Friday, February 18.