"The 19-year-old rookie who prefers twisting layups and mid-range jumpers finally had his first real slam dunk Wednesday.

Kyrie Irving was named the NBA's Rookie of the Month for January in the Eastern Conference, the league announced. Minnesota's Ricky Rubio grabbed top honors in the Western Conference.

There was little doubt Irving would capture the first award of the lockout-shortened season. The Cavaliers point guard leads all rookies in scoring, averaging 18.1 points. He's second in shooting percentage (51.1) and assists (4.9). "