To win the NBA Rookie of the Year award, it helps to have the ball in your hands.
The rookie race is pretty much acknowledged as down to two players – point guards Kyrie Irving of Cleveland and Ricky Rubio of Minnesota, each of whom were named Rookie of the Month for January, the NBA announced Wednesday.
Irving, the top overall pick in the 2011 draft, won for the Eastern Conference. In January, he averaged 18.1 points (tops among rookies) and 4.9 assists (second) while shooting 51 percent from the field.
Irving pretty much clinched the award Sunday night, when he scored a staggering 17 points in the final three minutes to rally the Cavs to an 88-87 win at Boston. Cleveland has five road wins this season after collecting seven all last season.
Rubio, the fifth pick in the 2009 draft, won for the Western Conference. He is averaging 11.4 points and leads all rookies with 8.9 assists and 2.24 steals.
Rubio personally spoiled the ring ceremony of the Dallas Mavericks on Jan. 25, going for 17 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds and four steals in a 105-90 road victory. The Timberwolves are 5-4 on the road after going 5-36 last season.
Other nominees were Detroit’s Brandon Knight, Houston’s Chandler Parsons, Miami’s Norris Cole, New Jersey’s MarShon Brooks and Phoenix’s Markieff Morris.