NBA Report Cards: Grading the 10 Best, Scorching Hot NBA Sophomores

Since a majority of NBA rookies leave school early, the fact is a majority of rookies aren't NBA ready.

Their bodies aren't ready for the pounding of the NBA season and their respective games need a lot of work.

Some rookies are just the opposite, though, as they came in and made an impact during their freshman campaign.

Another challenge all together is building off that first season.

Here's a look at the top 10 sophomores in the NBA.

There's no sophomore slump for these guys.

10. Evan Turner

I probably have Turner too high on this list but I wanted to take a look at him. He looked like a can't-miss guy coming out of Ohio State, but hasn't had much success so far in the NBA.

He's a big wing player that should have success at this level and does a lot of things well but his offensive game will remain a question mark.

Turner isn't a great outside shooter and isn't explosive enough to get to the rim consistently.

Philadelphia is a deep team so it will be a battle for Turner to stay in the regular rotation, but the initial signs are good.

All of Turner's numbers are up from his rookie season.

Sophomore Grade: C

9. Landry Fields

The first half of his rookie season, Fields was a surprise in New York.

His rebounding and defense kept him in the starting lineup, but his performance fell off in the second half of the season.

He still has his starting spot for now and does the little things at both ends of the floor, but his line drive shot doesn't provide the results that an NBA shooting guard needs to produce.

Lucky for him, the Knicks have enough scoring, so he will still get minutes, but those minutes could begin to decrease in what could be a crowded New York backcourt.

Keep an eye on his numbers, as they are all down from his rookie season, especially the rebounding numbers which are down almost three boards per game.

Sophomore Grade: C

8. Ed Davis

Davis finished his rookie season strong with six double-doubles in his final 11 games.

While his defense and his rebounding should be there on a nightly basis, his offensive game is very inconsistent.

If the Raptors can unlock his potential on the offensive end, they could have themselves a very good player.

Sophomore Grade: C

7. Derrick Favors

Favors is still very raw, but is much-improved and you can see why the Jazz are high on him.

His ceiling is very high and he currently is the first big guy off the bench for Utah.

He's had a pair of double-doubles already and his numbers are up from his rookie year.

If his game keeps progressing, he can make an impact in the NBA

Sophomore Grade: C+

6. Gary Neal

Neal was a surprise a season ago and snatched the backup point guard spot away from George Hill.

He's productive off the Spurs bench and he can drain the three as easy as he can put the ball on the floor and get to the basket.

Neal's a bit of a liability on defense, but he's instant offense and should fill in nicely as the Spurs starting shooting guard while Manu Ginobili recovers from injury.

He's only been back in the San Antonio lineup for five games, so we haven't had much of a look at him this year, but what we've seen so far looks pretty good.

Sophomore Grade: B-

5. Paul George

George showed already last season that he is a great perimeter defender and his athleticism has him in line for big things in the NBA.

As the Pacers 2-guard, George should have an opportunity to put together a solid statistical season.

He's off to a pretty good start and his numbers are up across the board.

Sophomore Grade: B-

4. DeMarcus Cousins

He's a beast on the inside that can use his power to score but also has a nice finesse game.

Ultimately, Cousins could be the most talented member of this draft class, but he has to keep his head on straight, and there's no guarantee of that happening.

Another problem is his very poor shot selection.

Cousins is off to a good start this season, though, and is averaging a solid double-double.

He has the talent to be great but we will see if he reaches that potential.

Sophomore Grade: B

3. Greg Monroe

Monroe was a surprise.

He found his groove during the second half of his rookie season and was one of the more productive rookies.

Monroe was a double-double machine the second half of his rookie year but was overshadowed by Blake Griffin, so not many people realize how talented he really is.

He's also a very good passing big man.

So far in 2012, Monroe is off to a nice 14.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per night start.

Sophomore Grade: B+

2. John Wall

Wall is lights out in transition and ran the Wizards offense pretty well as a rookie.

Not many rookies have posted 16 PPG, eight APG, five RPG, 1.8 SPG seasons.

His jump shot needs a lot of work and he turns the ball over too much, but there isn't too much not to like about Wall overall.

He's just going to get better and that's scary. His numbers are down across the board this year, but for now we will put that on the fact that the Wizards are awful and he has no help.

Sophomore Grade: B+

1. Blake Griffin

No explanation needed here.

Griffin was the only player in the NBA who averaged  22 points, 12 rebounds and three assists per game last season and he did it as a rookie.

He's a freak of nature and there is no ceiling for how good he can be.

Sophomore Grade: A