The Atlanta Hawks’ Ivan Johnson and the Denver Nuggets’ Kenneth Faried were today named the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Rookies of the Month, respectively, for games played in April.

Irving led all rookies in steals (1.45 spg) and paced Eastern Conference first-year players in field goal percentage (.582).  In addition, Johnson averaged 10.7 points and 5.9 rebounds for the playoff-bound Hawks. Johnson, who averaged 6.4 points for the season, had six double-digit scoring performances in April, including a career-high 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting in a 109-87 win at Toronto on April 16. Two nights later, Johnson recorded his third double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds in a 116-84 win over Detroit.

Faried paced first-year players in rebounds (9.1 rpg) and field goal percentage (.584), and led Western Conference rookies in blocks (1.14 bpg). Faried also averaged 11.6 points and recorded six of his 12 double-doubles this season in the final month of the campaign, including a 27-point, 17-rebound performance April 9in a 123-84 win over Golden State. In the victory over the Warriors, Faried established career highs in both categories, and became the first player in the shot-clock era to record that many points and rebounds in less than 25 minutes (24).