The 2024 NBA rookie class is now halfway through the season, which means it's time to reassess how each team's picks are faring.

Grades are far from final, and we'll see some wild swings from our last set of evaluations as some rookies have hit the wall while others have powered through it. Consider this a progress report that'll almost surely be subject to change.

Some rookies have spent the majority of their time in the G League, and we'll note that when necessary. The main focus here will be on high picks and those who've actually logged NBA minutes this year.

Grades are based on performance relative to expectations. Top selections who are struggling will have a hard time scoring well, while productive lower picks will earn better marks.

Let's see how this class grades out at the halfway point of 2024-25.

Atlanta Hawks

No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher continues to show flashes of good feel and a well-rounded profile that will one day make him a positive contributor (if not a star) on both ends. But that eye-test analysis has to be weighed against a statistical profile that falls far short of modest expectations for a top pick—even in a draft class that currently looks as weak as advertised.

Risacher's best month as a three-point shooter was November, when he hit just 29.9 percent of his treys. His assist-to-turnover ratio is almost exactly 1-to-1, and the Atlanta Hawks score at a rate that ranks in the 10th percentile when Risacher is on the floor, a damning stat considering he spends most of his minutes with the starting five.

You can still see the potential for the 19-year-old to become a quality three-and-D wing, but Risacher's present production leaves a lot to be desired.

Grade: C

Boston Celtics

Baylor Scheierman is showing enough when he shuttles down to the G League to suggest he would have made a significant impact on a bad NBA team. The No. 30 selection is putting up 19.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists while canning 35.8 percent of his threes with the Maine Celtics.

Unfortunately, the 6'6" wing landed with the Boston Celtics, whose title defense doesn't require much help from a rookie.

Sheierman is getting up 9.8 three-point attempts in 34.4 minutes per game in Maine, which indicates he understands being a Celtic means embracing high three-point volume. If he ever gets extended playing time in Boston this season, he'll fit right in.

Grade: C+

Brooklyn Nets

The best indicator that the Brooklyn Nets' rebuild is in the absolute earliest stages is the dearth of rookie production. These Nets aren't even at the point where they have promising, unproven first-year newbs to throw to the wolves.

One rookie, Cui Yongxi, suffered a torn ACL and was waived as part of the deal that sent Dennis Schröder to the Golden State Warriors.

Another, Jaylen Martin, has seen three minutes all year and hasn't played since Dec. 23.

At least Reece Beekman, who came over in the Schroder trade, is seeing some action. He averaged 18.7 points, 7.3 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 2.8 steals while scoring efficiently for the Santa Cruz Warriors and is logging about 10 minutes per game with Brooklyn since debuting on Dec. 19.

It's possible Beekman, who's shooting below 40.0 percent from the field so far, will get real chances to play as Brooklyn intensifies its tanking efforts. Neither he nor any other Nets rookie has done much of note to this point, but that's in line with expectations for a team that didn't have a pick in the 2024 draft.

Grade: C

Charlotte Hornets

No. 6 pick Tidjane Salaün continues to play a fringe rotation role, despite failing to log double-digit points in any game since he scored 10 on Dec. 3.

The burly 6'9" forward has been one of the least efficient scorers at his position all season, ranking in the 2nd percentile in points per shot attempt among bigs, but he's shown at least one sign of offensive utility by hitting 39.0 percent of his corner threes.

At this early stage, Charlotte seems to imagine Salaün as a spacer, as 58.0 percent of his attempts come from beyond the arc. He'll have to do better than his current 27.6 percent conversion rate on triples if that vision is ever going to materialize.

KJ Simpson, the 12th pick in the second round, saw a little action as the calendar flipped, amassing nearly 53 minutes across three games from Dec. 30 to Jan. 5. That's not bad for a player on a two-way deal. Simpson's best effort remains his nine-assist game against the Sixers on Dec. 3.

Grade: C-

Chicago Bulls

Matas Buzelis' playing time was on the rise in mid-December, but he hasn't logged more than 16 minutes in any January game. That's disappointing for Chicago Bulls fans that want more than the occasional glimpse of the 6'10" rookie's potential.

Though he's still shooting just 38.1 percent from the field, Buzelis is hitting an acceptable 33.0 percent of his triples and an encouraging 80.0 percent of his foul shots. That suggests he could develop into a respectable shooter in time, and any spacing skills he brings will pair nicely with an intriguing off-the-dribble game.

In that clip, Buzelis impressively handles a very good defender in Keegan Murray. Even if it's clear the rookie lacks the strength to get all the way to the cup, he's obviously confident, skillful with the ball and aggressive.

Head coach Billy Donovan isn't rewarding Buzelis with major playing time yet, but Chicago should still feel great about its No. 11 pick.

Grade: A-

Cleveland Cavaliers

Jaylon Tyson didn't crack 100 minutes until early December and doesn't have a path to a real role on an elite Cleveland Cavaliers team that also got Max Strus back since we last handed out grades.

Tyson, picked 20th, has seen at least 14 minutes in a game just twice this year. The first came during a Nov. 20 blowout of the New Orleans Pelicans, in which he racked up 16 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. The second included eight points and three rebounds as the Cavs mauled the Philadelphia 76ers on Dec. 21. The 24 points he amassed in those two games account for over half of his total (42) on the season.

It still seems safe to say Tyson has something to offer as a multi-skilled wing, but he didn't get drafted by a team bad enough to let him show it. Clearly overqualified to be in the G League, Tyson could be showing rotation-level capability on another squad.

Grade: C+

Dallas Mavericks

Two-way rookie Jazian Gortman got a 10-minute stint on Dec. 19 and logged at least four minutes in four of his next seven games, a relative glut of playing time for the 6'2" guard who's bounced between the Dallas Mavericks and their G League affiliate all year.

He remains the only Mavs rookie to see the floor this season, but even with Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić sidelined simultaneously for a recent stretch, it never seemed as if the guard, undrafted in 2023, was in line for a consistent role.

Gortman is averaging 17.4 points and 6.1 assists for the Texas Legends but is shooting just 22.2 percent from deep in 10 G League appearances.

No. 51 pick Melvin Ajinca is still playing in France.

Grade: C-

Denver Nuggets

PJ Hall and Spencer Jones have combined for 27 minutes this season, while Trey Alexander has a comparatively massive 53 minutes on the year.

He's scored nine points.

The Denver Nuggets' rookie contributions would have been far greater if No. 22 pick DaRon Holmes hadn't torn his Achilles just a few weeks after the draft.

Holmes was an All-American and 20-point scorer at Dayton, and he likely would have made a rotation impact. Aaron Gordon has had two multi-week absences due to calf strains, and Holmes' contributions would have been valuable during those stretches. His injury cost a thin Denver team a frontcourt piece it couldn't afford to lose.

We won't penalize the Nuggets for Holmes' injury. He was a smart pick at the time.

Grade: Incomplete

Detroit Pistons

The Detroit Pistons are piling up wins, and rookie Ron Holland has had a positive impact on a couple of them. He was a plus-14 in a three-point win over the Lakers on Dec. 23 and a plus-16 in a double-digit victory against the Wolves on Jan. 4.

Those have been the exception, as Detroit is better without the No. 5 pick on the floor this season. But between Holland's occasional impact on winning, high-motor intensity and refusal to back down in the face of opposing vets, it's easy to imagine him developing into a quality starter.

Holland is making less than a quarter of his threes (6-of-14 in December, though!) but continues to have a better shooting outlook than second-year Pistons wing Ausar Thompson. The ball's not going in for 19-year-old, but at least he fires willingly and doesn't have Thompson's hitch-ridden form.

Better still, he rates as a marginal positive on D, according to Dunks and Threes, and Holland also shows good touch on short mid-rangers, where he rates in the 83rd percentile at his position in accuracy.

Grade: B

Golden State Warriors

Quinten Post got a couple of real NBA stints since we last graded, and it's now safe to say the Golden State Warriors' lack of a spacing big man is a problem of the past.

OK, not quite. Post hit his first three of the season against the Indiana Pacers on Jan. 10 and has a whopping eight points on seven career field-goal attempts.

The 7-footer, picked 52nd overall, has a more decorated resumé in the G League, where he's averaging 19.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 52.0 percent from the field. As the trade deadline approaches, and the Warriors consider aggregation trades to land a big name, Post could find himself spending more time with the big club.

He's a long way from making regular contributions, but his G League production and short-minute proof-of-concept work as a spacer with the Dubs is mildly encouraging.

Grade: C+

Houston Rockets

Those who bought the pre-draft hype on Reed Sheppard lost heart as the No. 3 pick spent the season glued to the Houston Rockets' bench. On Jan. 7, that same group of Sheppard supporters pointed at their screens in true Rick-Dalton-meme form.

Who cares if it was a G League game? Sheppard lit it up for 49 points on 8-of-19 shooting from deep. That was the guy Sheppard's believers expected to see in Houston.

Players taken as high as Sheppard was in the 2024 draft don't tend to spend much time in the G League, but the Rockets' rotation is deep enough to justify the demotion. Sheppard has played fewer than five total minutes in the NBA since the calendar flipped to 2025 and is averaging just 3.3 points per game on the year, but he's putting up over 30 points a night on scorching outside shooting for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

That level of production at least suggests Sheppard is more the victim of a roster crunch than a disappointing pick. We're bumping up the Rockets' rookie grade from the D-plus we gave them last time around.

Grade: C-

Indiana Pacers

It's been tough sledding for No. 35 pick Johnny Furphy, who appeared in eight of the Indiana Pacers' nine games from Dec. 27 to Jan. 12, seven of which they won. Indy's turnaround has been one of the more heartening stories of the last few weeks, but the rookie forward has had little to do with it.

Furphy went 0-of-6 in 23 minutes of a 37-point loss to the Boston Celtics on Dec. 27 and has one field goal in the month of January.

The 6'8" Aussie still shows flashes of slick passing and switchable defense, which counts for something. His nose for the ball is more obvious at lower levels. He's averaging 11.3 rebounds per game in a handful of G League appearances.

Any second-rounder who demonstrates an NBA-caliber skill or two is notable, so Furphy still gets an average mark.

Grade: C

LA Clippers

Cam Christie has played 18 minutes and scored five points in one appearance with the LA Clippers but is averaging 16.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists in the G League. That's not a bad showing for a No. 46 pick.

The depth of LA's roster means Christie may not get many more shots at NBA minutes, as does the fact that the undrafted Trentyn Flowers has been the Clips' more impressive rookie. The 6'7" guard is averaging 14.5 points and 5.3 rebounds while hitting 42.4 percent of his threes, all while piling up highlights in San Diego.

If any first-year player is going to get playing time in LA, it'll be Flowers.

Grade: C+

Los Angeles Lakers

It might be time to officially walk back the Dalton Knecht hype that peaked with his 37-point breakout on Nov. 19. That scoring surge still counts as the strongest example of Knecht's shooting prowess, but nearly two months later, it was clearly the exception to the rule.

Since then, Knecht has looked much more like a standard, occasionally struggling rookie.

After hitting just seven of his 45 long-range tries in December, the Tennessee product is down to 33.9 percent from deep on the year. Still a low-turnover wing who moves well off the ball, Knecht retains offensive value even when his shot's not falling at a high clip.

Another month like December, though, and defenses may no longer treat Knecht like a real threat on the perimeter.

The trend line on Knecht's season isn't angling sharply upward like it was in November, but he's still been one of this season's most productive first-year contributors. Considering he came off the board at No. 17, high marks are in order.

Grade: B

Memphis Grizzlies

Risacher is the only rookie with more starts than Jaylen Wells, and no other first-year player is even close to the Memphis Grizzlies wing when it comes to making an impact on a good team.

Wells is averaging 11.7 points and 3.4 rebounds on a 43.3/37.4/81.8 shooting split while routinely guarding the opponent's best wing. He's been a consistent, high-effort contributor on a Grizz team with the second-best point differential in the West. End the season today, and he's very likely the Rookie of the Year. That's exceptional value for a No. 39 selection.

Wells' teammate, Zach Edey, is going to join him on the All-Rookie first team. The slimmed-down center is moving better than he did at Purdue and is averaging 16.6 points, 12.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per 36 minutes while hitting an intriguing 39.3 percent from long range.

Grade: A+

Miami Heat

Kel'el Ware is finally seeing consistent rotation stints. After failing to log more than 15 minutes in any game through Dec. 23, he's eclipsed that mark eight times since then. Better still, Ware's time on the floor has been positively impactful.

Though the Miami Heat are mired in the Jimmy Butler trade saga and playing roughly .500 ball, Ware has posted a positive plus/minus eight times in his last 13 games.

Fellow rookie Pelle Larsson's role has trended the other way. He's registering DNPs fairly regularly after spending most of November and early December in the rotation. The ankle injury he suffered on Dec. 4 may have thrown his season off track.

Despite limited playing time, Larsson remains a great cutter and physical on-ball defender who shoots it well (38.5 percent) from the corners.

Grade: B

Milwaukee Bucks

AJ Johnson, picked 23rd after averaging averaging 2.8 points per game for the Illawarra Hawks of the NBL, is producing 14.3 points, 4.3 assists and 3.2 rebounds on 44.7 percent shooting for the Wisconsin Herd. That's not bad for a 20-year-old with his limited experience, but it doesn't exactly indicate he's ready to make a difference with the Milwaukee Bucks yet.

Fellow rookies Tyler Smith and Liam Robbins have only combined for 88 NBA minutes on the season.

Milwaukee may not be a top-tier contender, but it has come a long way since its 2-8 start. Rookies haven't had anything to do with the Bucks getting their season sorted out, but their 19-9 mark since Nov. 11 at least makes it easier to defend their decision not to take a more NBA-ready player in Johnson's draft slot.

Grade: C-

Minnesota Timberwolves

A right ankle sprain has kept Rob Dillingham on ice since Dec. 23, but he was recently cleared for full contact by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Still struggling to score consistently, Minnesota could do a lot worse than handing a few minutes per game to the No. 8 pick, whose defining moment this season came in late November, when he offered scoring bursts across a pair of games.

Good news for the Wolves: It looks like Dillingham is up to more of the same on his G League rehab assignment.

As the Wolves continue their search for shot creation and pace, Dillingham's per-36 numbers (16.8 points and 6.3 assists on 58.0 percent true shooting) warrant a longer look.

Terrence Shannon Jr., who's seen 45 minutes with the Wolves, suffered a foot sprain in the G League this week and could miss a month of action.

Grade: B-

New Orleans Pelicans

Yves Missi was named the West's Rookie of the Month after putting up 11.2 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks across 13 games in December. Even if production like that on a go-nowhere team warrants a little scrutiny, there's no denying Missi has dramatically outperformed his No. 21 draft slot.

As it stands, the Pels' big man is second among rookies in minutes, first in win shares, first in blocks and has over 100 more total rebounds than his next closest competitor. Perhaps most impressively, no other first-year player has even half as many offensive boards as Missi.

After barely getting mentioned when preseason concerns arose about New Orleans' barren center spot, Missi has been one of the team's lone bright spots and seems like a lock for All-Rookie honors.

Grade: A-

New York Knicks

It's hard to factor this directly into a grade, but we can at least agree that Tyler Kolek's doubleheader was pretty cool.

The New York Knicks rookie point guard shone during a 36-point, 11-assist double-double on Jan. 1 against the Indiana Mad Ants. Just a few hours later, he suited up for the Knicks, who were missing Jalen Brunson and Deuce McBride, scoring two points, handing out four assists and logging 12 minutes in a 119-103 win over the Jazz.

Kolek's 24 appearances are the most of any Knicks rookie, and he's putting up 24.5 points and 8.7 assists per game in Westchester. That said, 19-year-old wing Pacome Dadiet remains the most promising prospect from a first-year crop that also includes big man Ariel Hukporti.

Dadiet is raw but might already be able to offer the Knicks 10 minutes per game behind Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby.

Grade: B

Oklahoma City Thunder

Standout rookie Ajay Mitchell underwent turf toe surgery earlier this month and will miss 10-12 weeks. That's a blow to Mitchell, who was in position to make an All-Rookie team as a second-rounder, and also to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who just lost one of their best reserve ball-handlers and shooters.

Mitchell was averaging 6.4 points per game while hitting 50.6 percent of his field goals and 43.1 percent of his threes. The lefty out of UC Santa Barbara showed advanced feel and maturity for OKC, carving out a real role on a team that could threaten the single-season wins record.

Dillon Jones isn't getting much action of late, and Nikola Topić won't play this season. But Mitchell's performance prior to injury, by itself, warrants a high mark.

Grade: A-

Orlando Magic

After drilling 38.6 percent of his threes at Colorado, 6'8" German-Brazilian wing Tristan da Silva is making only 31.5 percent as a pro. Despite that, he's been a massive factor in keeping the Orlando Magic afloat with their best players sidelined by injury.

An extremely intelligent player on both ends, da Silva cuts cleverly and creates clean passing angles for teammates by moving into space off the ball. He's a "right place, right time" defender who, though not particularly quick, uses his length to be disruptive on the perimeter.

It remains to be seen how much da Silva will play when Franz Wagner returns to join Paolo Banchero in the frontcourt, but it's worth noting that his production and efficiency spike when he's put into more appropriate reserve role. When coming off the bench, da Silva is averaging 6.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists with a 64.1 true shooting percentage.

If he were shooting the ball better (32.1 percent from deep in December; 22.6 percent through is first seven January contests), da Silva would have landed in the "A" range.

Grade: B+

Philadelphia 76ers

Despite being officially ruled out for the season following meniscus surgery, which shelved him on Dec. 13, Jared McCain remains one of the most productive rookies of 2024-25.

Believe it or not, he's still seventh among first-year players in total points scored and fourth in Dunks and Threes' Estimated Wins.

McCain was the front-runner for Rookie of the Year when he went down. With a 38.3 percent clip from deep and an advanced sense of off-ball movement, the Duke product was a key piece of the Philadelphia 76ers' early-season attack.

With just 23 games on the year, McCain probably won't land on an All-Rookie team. But there's no denying he was the top player in the class prior to injury.

Adem Bona, the No. 41 pick, is seeing more action of late. He's averaging a staggering 8.7 fouls per 100 possessions but is rebounding and blocking shots at excellent rates.

Grade: A

Phoenix Suns

Ryan Dunn is back in the starting lineup after a month pulling reserve duty, and a shake-up that sent Jusuf Nurkić and Bradley Beal to the bench should keep him there for the foreseeable future.

One of the best, most versatile defenders in the class, Dunn is also trending up as a shooter. We all remember the rookie's hot start from deep, but he shot 24.4 percent on threes in November and 28.1 percent in December. His 36.0 percent clip in January, if sustainable, could be a game-changer—one that firmly entrenches the rangy wing in Phoenix's closing lineups.

Oso Ighodaro continues to make his short floaters and push shots at a high clip, and his defensive versatility looked likely to earn him minutes over new starter Mason Plumlee—until the Suns swung a deal for former Hornets center Nick Richards.

Both of Phoenix's top rookies have trended up since we last handed out grades, and they should both get opportunities to continue improving on a team searching for the right combinations on most nights.

Grade: A-

Portland Trail Blazers

Donovan Clingan still isn't getting regular starts, so his season averages of 5.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks don't look like much. The Portland Trail Blazers big man is, however, a rate-stats stud.

Among rookies who've played at least 200 minutes, Clingan's block rate of 8.7 percent is far and away the best. In fact, that number ranks second only to Victor Wembanyama among all NBA players with at least as many minutes as Clingan this season.

That's a signature skill that'll ensure Clingan has obvious starter upside. Once Portland clears its center logjam and opens up more minutes, the per-game averages will climb.

The Blazers don't get any bumps up the grade scale for it, but second-year guard Scoot Henderson put up a career-high 39 points against the Nets on Jan. 14. At least somebody in the Blazers' young core is piling up counting stats.

Grade: A-

Sacramento Kings

Now recovered from shoulder surgery that cost him the first two-and-a-half months of the season, Sacramento Kings guard Devin Carter is making his presence felt.

A rugged defender who'll give the Kings someone other than Keon Ellis to deploy against dangerous backcourt threats, Carter is also a a tremendous rebounder at his position who can make plays on the ball and bend defenses away from it.

His highlight so far was a stretch against the Boston Celtics on Jan. 10 when he buried back-to-back deep triples in the fourth quarter of a 17-point win. Merely being on the floor against the defending champs was an achievement, especially considering it came in Carter's fourth professional game. That the No. 13 pick seemed so prepared for the moment bodes well for the Kings' stretch run and his career.

Grade: B+

San Antonio Spurs

Stephon Castle continues to post ugly efficiency stats, led by a 25.2 percent hit rate from beyond the arc. But the No. 4 pick passed the eye test with flying colors during one of his best games of the season, a 24-point shellacking of the Lakers on Jan. 13.

Castle piled up 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting and flashed all of his top selling points as a smart passer, aggressive driver and rugged defender. The next night out, he set a new career high with 26 points against the Grizzlies.

When the UConn product plays decisively and with force, his physical abilities make him an extremely tough cover. If his shot comes around, all that strength and quickness will make the combo guard a real handful for opponents on both ends.

As the San Antonio Spurs continue to feature him, Castle is climbing rookie leaderboards. He's currently first in steals and free-throws, second in points and assists, and fourth in field goals.

Grade: A-

Toronto Raptors

Ja'Kobe Walter had just crashed the Toronto Raptors rotation when we last graded, and he's mostly continued to see playing time (14.7 minutes across his first six January games). That's despite ongoing efficiency struggles that have produced a 39.4/29.6/66.7 shooting split.

Toronto's other rookies have largely seen their roles shrink as veterans like Immanuel Quickley and Scottie Barnes returned from injury. Jonathan Mogbo averaged 19.3 minutes per game in December but has barely played in January. He's still a live-wire rebounder and pace-pusher who ranks fifth among rookies in steals, but his chances to make an impact are dwindling.

Good news: He's still crushing it when suiting up for the 905, Toronto's G League affiliate.

Jamison Battle is shooting 43.1 percent from deep, and point guard Jamal Shead is at 43.5 percent since Dec. 1, an accuracy rate that has helped him stick in the rotation even with Quickley back.

The Raps' rookie class lacks a potential star, but it's deeper than that of any other team.

Grade: B+

Utah Jazz

Cody Williams is back from the G League but continues to be an almost invisible presence on the floor. Across his first four January appearances, he totaled 113 minutes and shot 4-of-13 from the field. At least he had a 36-point outing with the Salt Lake City Stars on Jan. 2.

Second-rounder Kyle Filipowski has now overtaken his lottery-selected teammate in total minutes among Jazz rookies and has made nearly twice as many field goals as Williams on the year.

Isaiah Collier still can't throw the ball in the ocean (20 percent from deep), but he had one of the more interesting games of any rookie this season. After incurring a crucial eight-second violation that cost Utah a late-game possession, Collier shoved the ball through traffic and hit a game-winning layup the next time down.

Grade: D+

Washington Wizards

Don't look now, but Alexandre Sarr is getting a little frisky on offense.

Barely resembling the guy who shot under 40.0 percent from the field and couldn't even hit a quarter of his threes through November, the second overall pick shot 45.5 percent from distance last month. He earned December Rookie of the Month honors for the East and has gone on to drill 10 of his first 28 long-range tries in January.

Sarr is still a poor finisher inside whose lean frame and sub-elite athleticism make it hard to imagine him dominating the paint, but his strong defensive future is intact. If he proves to be a viable frontcourt spacer on offense, he could mature into a high-end starter down the line.

Bub Carrington leads all rookies in minutes played but is struggling to score inside the arc, where he's making under 50.0 percent of his shots. He's averaging a season-best 4.8 assists per game in January, though, while continuing to show an ability to get to his spots on the floor as a pick-and-roll ball-handler.

Grade: B-

Stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference and Cleaning the Glass. Accurate through Jan. 17. Salary info via Spotrac.

Grant Hughes covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on X (@gt_hughes), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, where he appears with Bleacher Report's Dan Favale.