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Thorpe: Lillard Ranked Third Among Sophomores, Robinson 20th

ESPN.com's David Thorpe has ranked the second-year players based off their production early this season and their recently-completed rookie seasons. Thorpe breaks the Top 20 sophomores down into two groups: The Big Three and Everyone Else.

Thorpe lists Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard, the unanimous 2013 Rookie of the Year selection, as the third of the Big Three sophomores behind Pelican's power forward Anthony Davis, who was first pick of the 2012 Draft, and Piston's center Andre Drummond, who was taken with the ninth pick. When it comes to Lillard, Thorpe writes ...

As for the players drafted before Lillard, Thorpe ranks the second pick in the 2012 Draft, Charlotte's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, as the 15th best sophomore. The third pick, Bradley Beal of the Wizards, is ranked seventh, while Dion Waiters, the player taken with the fourth pick by Cleveland, doesn't even make the list. Same goes for New Orleans' Austin Rivers, who was taken with the tenth overall pick.

And then there's Thomas Robinson, who was selected with the fifth pick by the Kings, only to be traded midway through his rookie season to the Rockets, who then traded him in the offseason to the Trail Blazers. Robinson is the last sophomore to make the cut at No. 20, to which Thorpe writes ...

First off, almost every player who has first-round talent thinks they should be the top pick. That certainly isn't unique to Robinson.

But more importantly, I'm still not sure how you can judge Robinson at this point. He's noticeably improved from game to game, though as Thorpe aptly notes, his minutes and subsequent role on the Trail Blazers varies from game. That's what happens when you're the backup for the best power forward in the game.