The Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid and the Phoenix Suns’ Marquese Chriss today were named NBA Eastern and Western Conference Rookies of the Month, respectively, for games played in January.
Embiid, the third pick in NBA Draft 2014, has earned the Eastern Conference honor all three months this season. In January, the 7-foot center led all rookies in scoring (23.4 ppg), rebounding (9.1 rpg) and blocked shots (2.56 bpg). Philadelphia went 7-2 when Embiid played and 10-5 overall for the month.
Chriss, the eighth pick in NBA Draft 2016, ranked fourth among Western Conference rookies in scoring (8.3 ppg), fifth in rebounding (3.6 rpg) and third in field goal percentage (45.9) for the month. He also led all first-year players in steals with 1.36 per game.
Other nominees for the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Rookies of the Month were Brooklyn’s Caris LeVert and Isaiah Whitehead, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Brandon Ingram and Ivica Zubac, Milwaukee’s Malcolm Brogdon, New Orleans’ Buddy Hield and Philadelphia’s Dario Saric.