The National Basketball Association announced today that Bucks guard Monta Ellis has been named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played Dec. 24-30. The honor is the third of Ellis’ career and his first as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. Ellis won his first two Player of the Week Awards with the Golden State Warriors, the second of which came in his final week with the club before last season’s trade that brought him to Milwaukee.
Ellis averaged team highs of 21.3 points, 8.3 assists and 4.0 steals during the week while leading the Bucks to a 2-1 mark, including a 104-85 victory over the Miami Heat on Dec. 29. Ellis shot 25-of-54 (.467) from the field and 8-of-14 (.571) from beyond the arc during the week. With six steals vs. Brooklyn on Dec. 26 and another five against the Heat on Dec. 29, Ellis posted five or more thefts in consecutive games for the first time in his career. With his 30 points last night against Detroit, Ellis now has five 30-point outings on the season (seventh-most in the NBA behind only Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, James Harden, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook).
Ellis’ Player of the Week honor is the second for a Bucks player this season. Brandon Jennings received the award on Nov. 4 following the opening week of the 2012-13 season.