NBA rookie rankings: Who takes No. 1 spot at midseason mark? - ESPN

The midpoint of the NBA season presents a new challenge for rookies. If the start of the season is difficult because of the higher level of competition, with bigger and faster and more skilled opponents, then the 41-game mark adds a new wrinkle just as rookies are starting to adjust: Now they must endure the grind of the longest basketball season they've ever played.

Last year's NCAA national champion played 40 games; Warriors rookie Will Richard, who starred for that Florida team, reached the 40-game mark in the NBA on Tuesday night and still has half a season to go.

But that also provides a perfect opportunity to assess the rookie class with another ranking. Note: This is a ranking of the quality of the rookies' play right now, rather than a long-term projection. Richard (who ranked seventh in the first edition of these rankings in November), the Hornets' Sion James (eighth) and the Pelicans' Jeremiah Fears (10th) fell out of the top 10 in this edition, with Fears as the last cut.

Stats are updated as of the morning of Jan. 21

Jump straight to the No. 1 player

November ranking: Not ranked

Demin is a player of extremes. He rarely gets to the rim and rarely draws free throws, but he's a gifted passer and, at 6-foot-8, fits the modern archetype of a big lead playmaker. Demin's 3-point accuracy has climbed to 39.8% — a major development given his 27% mark in college.

If Demin can consistently knock down his tries from deep, then defenses will be forced to guard him on the perimeter and he'll be able to access his passing in a much greater way. When Demin shares the court with Michael Porter Jr., the Nets have a plus-3.6 net rating and a 120.1 offensive rating, per databallr, which is four ticks higher than the league