The 2008-09 NBA season hit its midpoint this week, which means that while some first-year players are just hitting their stride, others are starting to slam into the infamous rookie wall.

Chicago point guard Derrick Rose, the first overall pick from last June's draft, has been the cream of the crop from Day One when he contributed 11 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals in a season-opening win over Milwaukee.

Rose's numbers have placed him among the best points in the entire NBA and, in my opinion, should lead to some All-Star consideration, but he hasn't been the only rookie revelation this season.

Since the last time I checked in with my rookie "rankings and rundown", on Dec. 4 (roughly a quarter of the way through the season), guys like Jerryd Bayless, D.J. Augustin, Russell Westbrook, and Marreese Speights have seen increases in floor time and have produced effectively for their teams.

The interesting part of this list isn't the very top; it's who's jostling right below Mr. Rose.

--In addition to their standard statistics, I've tallied each players (Floor Impact Counter) per game. All statistics are through the Thursday, Jan. 15 games.

1. Derrick Rose, Chicago: 16.9 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.5 rebounds (11.3 FIC, 11.9 FIC40)

I don't expect Rose to land anywhere but first on any list of this kind for the remainder of the season. In addition to handling the duties of a point guard well, and consistently, he's helped the Bulls remain in striking distance of a playoff berth despite numerous injuries to starter-level players.

2. Brook Lopez, New Jersey: 10.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks (9.8 FIC, 13.5 FIC40)

Lopez's rebounding and defensive abilities have allowed him to surpassed O.J. Mayo, who at the beginning of the season was much closer to Rose than anyone has been all year long. The trading of Jason Kidd was supposed to put the Nets in rebuilding mode, but the play of Devin Harris and Lopez has them within reach of not only a playoff berth, but home court advantage in the first round. Of course, they are also a few games from falling out of the picture entirely, but that's the nature of the East.

3. O.J. Mayo, Memphis: 19.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists (9.5 FIC, 10.0 FIC40)

Mayo has adjusted to the NBA quicker than I thought he would, and has proven to be more than a one-trick pony, as well. He's hit meaningful shots for the promising Grizzlies, and his rebounding and assist numbers are right around where they were at USC. I always felt as though he was able to grab rebounds in college because he was playing against inferior athletes, but his instincts are better than I perceived.

4. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City: 14.4 points, 4.9 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals (9.4 FIC, 11.9 FIC40)

As good as both Lopez and Mayo are playing, I fully expect Westbrook to be second on this list in short time. No one doubted his athleticism coming out of UCLA, but there were serious concerns about his ability to be a true point guard. He's not a pass-first guy and never will be, but his numbers are better for the Thunder than they were last year in college. As he continues to get comfortable, I think his rookie-high 3.1 turnovers will reduce.

5. Marc Gasol, Memphis: 11.2 points, 7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks (9.2 FIC, 12.3 FIC40)

He's still a tad inconsistent for my liking, but he did score double figures in eight straight games this month. The games that he posts 10 or 11 rebounds allows him to balance efforts of just 4 or 5 boards nicely in his averages, but in order to be a legitimate post presence for the Grizzlies he'll have to be a double-double threat on a nightly basis. He's mature, so he should be able to combat his foul trouble as the season wears on.

6. Kevin Love, Minnesota: 8.3 points and 8.2 rebounds (8.6 FIC, 15.3 FIC40)

Kevin McHale has finally started giving Kevin some love (excuse the horrible play on words) lately, and the former Bruin is starting to show the high basketball IQ that he did in college. In the NBA I think he's going against more agile players, but he's finding a way to approach double-doubles nonetheless. His numbers in January, 12.0 points and 10.5 rebounds, speak for themselves.

7. Mario Chalmers, Miami: 9.4 points, 4.5 assists and 1.7 steals (7.7 FIC, 9.9 FIC40)

Dwyane Wade deserves all the credit he has been given for helping turn the Heat around, but rookies like Chalmers and Michael Beasley have jumped right in and produced for fellow rookie coach Erik Spoelstra. They could still use someone more seasoned than Chalmers at point guard for the stretch run, but at this point all the former Jayhawk needs to do is defer to D-Wade.

8. Rudolfo Fernandez, Portland: 10.8 points and 3.2 rebounds (7.7 FIC, 11.6 FIC40)

Rudy hasn't sniffed the 25 points he scored in his coming out party against the Heat in mid-November again, but he has become a solid scoring option for a very-deep Blazers team. A foot injury has plagued him lately, but it doesn't appear to have had a negative impact on his shot. He's shooting 45.5% in January and averaging 12.0 points on just nine shots per game.

9. Greg Oden, Portland: 7.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks (7.2 FIC, 12.5 FIC40)

I think it's unfair that critics are knocking Oden for not putting up 20/20 games every time he steps out on the floor, especially when playing for a team that has guys like LaMarcus Aldridge and Joel Przybilla that need and deserve touches in the paint, as well. Sure, he's had foul issues (3.7 a game), but I think on most other teams his numbers would be approaching the double-double that everyone is pining for this season. His line of 17 points and 13 rebounds on Jan. 13 against the Bulls in just 26 minutes and on seven shots is a flash of what he's capable of doing.

10. D.J. Augustin, Charlotte: 12.1 points and 4.1 assists (6.7 FIC, 9.5 FIC40)

Why do you think rumors of the Bobcats dealing Raymond Felton have started popping up? Charlotte was dreaming of this scenario when they drafted Augustin, hoping that his play would give them a legitimate avenue to validate trading the former Tar Heel without criticism. Unfortunately for both the Bobcats and Augustin, an abdominal strain might keep him from assuming the role as the team's point guard of the present and future for the time being.

The Best Of The Rest

11. Michael Beasley, Miami: 13.8 points and 5.2 rebounds (6.7 FIC)

12. Luc Mbah a Moute, Milwaukee: 7.7 points and 6.3 rebounds (6.7 FIC)

13. Jason Thompson, Sacramento: 9.2 points and 6.5 rebounds (6.6 FIC)

14. Eric Gordon, Los Angeles: 12.4 points and 2.2 rebounds (6.5 FIC)

15. Marreese Speights, Philadelphia: 8.1 points and 3.9 rebounds (5.8 FIC)

16. Anthony Morrow, Golden State: 9.0 points and 3.1 rebounds (5.8 FIC)

17. George Hill, San Antonio: 7.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists (5.3 FIC)

18. Kosta Koufos, Utah: 5.5 points and 3.4 rebounds (4.6 FIC)

19. JaVale McGee, Washington: 5.5 points and 3.4 rebounds (4.4 FIC)

20. Anthony Randolph, Golden State: 5.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.0 block (4.3 FIC)

21. Ryan Anderson, New Jersey: 6.4 points and 3.9 rebounds (4.3 FIC)

22. Nicolas Batum, Portland: 4.7 points and 2.6 rebounds (4.1 FIC)

23. Darrell Arthur, Memphis: 5.3 points and 4.3 rebounds (4.0 FIC)

24. Courtney Lee, Orlando: 6.3 points and 1.8 rebounds on 44% 3PT (4.0 FIC)

25. Roy Hibbert, Indiana: 5.9 points and 2.7 rebounds on 62% FG (3.9 FIC)

26. Brandon Rush, Indiana: 6.5 points and 2.5 rebounds (3.4 FIC)

27. Rob Kurz, Golden State: 4.3 points and 2.4 rebounds (3.2 FIC)

28. Roko Ukic, Toronto: 4.6 points on 39% FG (2.8 FIC)

29. Kyle Weaver, Oklahoma City: 2.5 points and 1.3 rebounds (2.8 FIC)

30. Bobby Brown, Sacramento: 5.7 points and 2.2 assists (2.8 FIC)


Andrew Perna is Deputy Editor of RealGM.com and co-host of RealGM?s Radio Show. Please feel free to contact him with comments or questions via e-mail: Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com