Undeterred by a slow start to his debut season, New York Knicks neophyte Kevin Knox shined bright during December with averages of 17.1 points and 6 rebounds per game, and on Thursday the NBA rewarded the lanky teenager by naming him Eastern Conference rookie of the month.
After being selected 9th overall in last year’s draft and then dominating during Summer League, Knox carried lofty expectations on his shoulders heading into the start of the year; alas, growing pains, plus a sprained ankle, contributed to early season struggles. In December, however, something clicked — perhaps that ankle finally felt 100 percent — and Knox started stringing together series of strong performances.