Blazers G Damian Lillard Named Western Conference Rookie Of The Month For February

The NBA announced Friday that Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for February 2013.

Lillard also won Rookie of the Month honors in October/November 2012 (here), December 2012 (here) and January 2013 (here). He becomes the first Blazers player to win the award in four consecutive months; Brandon Roy won Rookie of the Month honors in January, February and March 2007.

Lillard, winner of his fourth consecutive Kia Rookie of the Month award... became the first NBA player to record 1,000 points and 300 assists in his first 55 career games since LeBron James did it (2003-04). Lillard was also the winner of the 2013 Taco Bell Skills Challenge at All-Star Weekend in Houston.

Month highlights:

Feb. 2 vs. Utah: Had 23 points, eight assists and three rebounds in a 105-99 victory over the Jazz.
Feb. 4 @ Minnesota: Posted 21 points, four rebounds and six assists during a 100-98 win over the Timberwolves.
Feb. 12 @ Miami: Posted 33 points and three assists in a 117-104 loss to the Heat.

Here's the release from the Blazers.

Lillard, 22, paced all rookies with 19.8 points, 6.2 assists, 38.7 minutes and 22 3-pointers made to go with 2.9 rebounds and 0.67 steals for the month.

The 6-foot-3 point guard has now earned Kia NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month honors in all four months of the season, becoming the first player in franchise history to win the award four times.

Against the L.A. Lakers on Feb. 22, Lillard became the first player to record 1,000 points and 300 assists in his first 55 career games since LeBron James (2003-04). He is the first Trail Blazers rookie to score 1,000 points in a season since Arvydas Sabonis (1995-96).

Lillard is the only player in NBA history to score 900-plus points and make 100-plus 3-pointers in his first 50 career games.

Lillard's month included tallying 18 points, three rebounds and five assists in the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star Weekend and winning the Taco Bell Skills Challenge on All-Star Saturday Night.

The Weber State product holds season averages of 18.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, a team-high 6.4 assists and 0.96 steals in 38.5 minutes. Portland selected him with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.

Cleveland's Dion Waiters earned Kia NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honors.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter