Haliburton named Western Conference Rookie of the Month

Jan 13, 2021; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) during the first quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

Former Iowa State star Tyrese Haliburton is quickly turning heads in the NBA.

The speed at which Haliburton has made the transition to the NBA game with the Sacramento Kings is hardly a surprise to those of us who watched him up close over the last two seasons at Iowa State.

It has also made him an early favorite for the league’s Rookie of the Year award — and put him in a position to be named the Western Conference’s Rookie of the Month for January on Tuesday.

The Oshkosh, Wis. native averaged 11.2 points, 5.8 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game during the month of January while shooting 45.7 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from 3-point range.

While playing in 18 of the team’s first 20 games, Haliburton is averaging 10.7 points, 5.4 assists and 3.8 rebounds. Those numbers rank sixth, second and eighth among all rookies, respectively.

The Kings currently sit with a 9-11 record overall and 11th in the West.

Jared Stansbury

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Jared a native of Clarinda, Iowa, started as the Cyclone Fanatic intern in August 2013, primarily working as a videographer until starting on the women’s basketball beat prior to the 2014-15 season. Upon earning his Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Iowa State in May 2016, Jared was hired as the site’s full-time staff writer, taking over as the primary day-to-day reporter on football and men’s basketball. He was elevated to the position of managing editor in January 2020. He is a regular contributor on 1460 KXNO in Des Moines and makes regular guest appearances on radio stations across the Midwest. Jared resides in Ankeny with his four-year-old puggle, Lolo.

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