Luka Doncic named Western Conference Player of the Month for December

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic has been named the NBA’s Western Conference Player of the Month for December. He shares the monthly award with Joel Embiid in the Eastern Conference.

Per game in December, Doncic has averaged 35.1 points, 9.3 assists, and 8.5 rebounds. He was clearly the frontrunner for the West after winning back-to-back player of the week awards in the Western Conference. His big numbers have fueled Dallas to an 11-6 record for the month, and the Mavericks currently have the longest win streak in the West, with seven in a row. They trail only Brooklyn’s 12 consecutive wins.

Luka’s hot streak has seen him score in excess of 30 points in 12 of the 15 games the team played in December. The stretch of course includes his historic 60/21/10 game against the New York Knicks.

Doncic’s contributions haven’t just been a consequence of his usage either. His efficiency has been stellar, shooting 51.9 percent from the field and 42.4 percent from three — all while having one of the most difficult shot profiles in the league. Doncic’s numbers have been trending up all year after he started the season struggling to get his shot to fall, especially from deep, as he shot just 22.6 percent from the arc in October. December saw Doncic notch season highs in TS%, ORtg, and assists, which bodes well entering the new year.

He’s the only Dallas Maverick to win the award multiple times. With this, his third such award, he trails only Dirk Nowitzki who won the honor a total of six times.