| RANK | SOPH | RUNDOWN | RECENT |
| 1 |  |
DAMIAN LILLARD, G, PORTLAND: Long-term, the guy in the slot below likely will become the better player. But right now, no soph is better than Lillard, who is 11th in scoring, 20th in assists, first in 3-pointers and off the charts in clutch play. It’s a crime if he’s not an All-Star. | 1 |
| 2 |  |
ANTHONY DAVIS, F-C, NEW ORLEANS: It’s truly frightening to watch him attack the rim off the dribble because of how much he looks like a guard – which he was before his growth spurt in high school. His 26.68 PER is truly frightening, too. Could be an All-Star but his team’s record may drag him down. | 2 |
| 3 |  |
ANDRE DRUMMOND, C, DETROIT: The next Dwight Howard? Certainly not as much pub, but has many of the same attributes. Of course, one of those is the perfectly awful free-throw shooting. His 21.60 PER is pretty impressive, as are his Eastern Conference-leading 27 double-doubles. | 6 |
| 4 |  |
BRADLEY BEAL, G, WASHINGTON: Certainly has all the tools for his position to become an All-Star. The biggest questions continue to be his sturdiness and the development of a mid-range game to complement his 44 percent arc shooting. Would love to see his confidence in the postseason. | 3 |
| 5 |  |
JARED SULLINGER, F-C, BOSTON: The forgotten man from the Class of 2012. Slipped into the 20s due to back issues, which ended his rookie season much too early. Back with a vengeance as a sophomore – even adding the 3-pointer to his game – and developing into a long-term starter for C’s. | – |
| 6 |  |
HARRISON BARNES, F, GOLDEN STATE: So the kid starts his entire rookie season and shows out on the playoffs. Andre Iguodala arrives in town, the kid is bumped to the bench, and … sulks? No. Slumps? Not really. Has all the tools to be a starter in this league, including an improved 3-pointer. | 4 |
| 7 |  |
JOHN HENSON, F-C, MILWAUKEE: The games he had last season that made you raise your eyebrows are coming with more frequency now that his minutes are more concrete. Solid 20.43 PER, fifth in blocks with more per game than teammate Larry Sanders and a blossoming double-double machine. | – |
| 8 |  |
JONAS VALANCIUNAS, C, TORONTO: Somewhat disappointing because we thought there would be an explosion of production. Instead, it has been more like a pop gun as Raptors have been busy redefining themselves. His 10.6 points, 8.4 boards and 1.1 blocks aren’t bad, but we all know they can be better. | 9 |
| 9 |  |
DION WAITERS, G, CLEVELAND: Yeah, nobody likes him, and sometimes he does stuff that makes you think he’s J.R. Smith with training wheels. But he makes an impact on the offensive end. Given his overlooked playmaking ability, his role as third guard is probably the best fit long-term. | 5 |
| 10 |  |
TERRENCE ROSS, G, TORONTO: There’s no doubt someone else would be in this spot if the Raptors hadn’t traded Rudy Gay. Elevated to starter and doubled his scoring to 12.6 points. Best part of his growth is consistent three-ball that should eventually open up his trampoline act a bit more. | – |
Note: Recent rank is where each player finished in last season’s final Rookie Rankings
NEXT FIVE: Terrence Jones, F, Houston; Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, F, Charlotte; Kyle Singler, F, Detroit; Patrick Beverley, G, Houston; Mo Harkless, F, Orlando.
OTHER RANKINGS: MVP | Most Improved | Sixth Man | Power | Rookie
Chris Bernucca is the managing editor of SheridanHoops.com. His columns appear Monday during the season. You can follow him on Twitter.
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