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BOSTON, MA (Boston Celtics) – Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum has been named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for December, the NBA announced today.
This is the first career Rookie of the Month honor for Tatum, who becomes the first Celtics rookie to garner such recognition since Marcus Smart in February of 2015.
In 17 December games, Tatum, 19, averaged 14.6 points (52.9% FG, 45.1% 3-PT), 5.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 32.0 minutes. His 14 games with 10 or more points led all NBA rookies during that span.
41 games into his rookie campaign (all starts), Tatum has averaged 14.1 points (50.5% FG), 5.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 31.1 minutes, while also ranking third in the NBA with a 46.8% mark from beyond the arc. His 579 points are the fifth-most by a Celtics rookie through the team’s first 41 games in franchise history.
Utah’s Donovan Mitchell was named Rookie of the Month for December in the Western Conference.