Making The Grade

Any coach worth his clipboard will tell you that most rookies are little more than raw material to be fashioned into finished products over a period of years. It can be misleading to evaluate a player after only a few months in the league. Think of this, then, not as the final word on this season's rookies but as a first-semester report.

•Head of the Class: Toronto's Damon Stoudamire seems ready to join the expanding list of topflight point guards. Philadelphia 76er guard-forward Jerry Stackhouse, the No. 2 pick overall, has been electrifying at times. He has shown a nose for the basket, but through Sunday his average of 4.3 turnovers was the NBA's worst.

•Solid Students: The Golden State Warriors' slender Joe Smith, the No. 1 pick overall, has had players like the Utah Jazz's Karl Malone teach him what the power in power forward is all about. But the Warriors like Smith's shooting touch, shot-blocking ability and attitude. Forward Antonio McDyess of the Denver Nuggets has averaged better than 10 points and seven rebounds on talent alone. Center Bryant Reeves of the Vancouver Grizzlies looked like a bust early, but Big Country's performance has improved since Vancouver traded starter Benoit Benjamin. Los Angeles Clipper guard Brent Barry and Portland Trail Blazer forward Gary Trent have both earned spots in their teams' regular rotations.

•Teachers' Pets: Three players have become fan favorites with their surprisingly strong early performances. At week's end Phoenix Sun forward Michael Finley, the 21st pick, was the Suns' third-leading scorer (14.1 points). Point guard Tyus Edney of the Sacramento Kings, the 47th pick overall, was averaging 11.4 points and 5.6 assists and proving to be the steal of the draft. And Boston Celtic forward Eric Williams has been quietly productive off the bench, averaging 11.0 points.

•Foreign Exchange Student: A most venerable rookie at 31, 7'3" Lithuanian center Arvydas Sabonis has been a solid contributor for the Trail Blazers. Achilles tendon injuries suffered during the nine years he spent in Europe after Portland drafted him in. 1986 have left him relatively immobile, but he's still a fine shooter, with three-point range, and is one of the best-passing big men in the league.

•In Need of Tutoring: Nineteen-year-old forward Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota Timberwolves, who jumped to the NBA straight from high school, has acquitted himself rather well (6.2 points, 3.5 rebounds) and also produced the rookie quote of the season when he said of the NBA, "It's a league full of old guys who foul a lot." New Jersey Net forward Ed O'Bannon and Dallas Maverick center Cherokee Parks were both expected to contribute more than they have so far. "He doesn't really know what's going on," says Dallas coach Dick Motta of Parks. "But then, what rookie does?"