As we approach the All-Star Break, the Rookie of the Year race is beginning to take shape, and although the recent play of Minnesota swingman Andrew Wiggins has made him the favorite for the award at this point, Nerlens Noel isn’t far behind. Additionally, the team’s class as a whole has been one of the best for any team in recent memory, and that’s without first-round selections Joel Embiid (#3) or Dario Saric (#12) playing.

In this week’s installment of the NBA.com Rookie Ladder, Scott Howard-Cooper ranked Noel the second-best rookie in the class, just behind Wiggins, promoted K.J. McDaniels from #5 to #4, just ahead of Chicago’s Nikola Mirotic, and added previously unranked Jerami Grant to the list at #10. Here’s what he had to say about each:

Nerlens Noel “The only rookie to ever average more than 1.50 blocks and 1.50 steals the same season was David Robinson in 1989-90. Noel is at 1.71 and 1.60, respectively. He has blocked at least two shots in six consecutive games, including six in 31 minutes Friday against the Timberwolves, to move to into a tie for 10th in the league.” K.J. McDaniels “McDaniels vs. Nikola Mirotic for fourth place: McDaniels is having a standout season on defense for a rookie, is tied for 22nd in the league in blocks, and both are about 40 percent from the field. Mirotic has better 3-point range despite being 6-foot-10, McDaniels is a better shot blocker despite being 6-foot-6. McDaniels may have a clear path to minutes because he plays for the 76ers, but in the end, Mirotic cannot overcome the fact that he is having trouble getting on the court. Chicago's front-court depth is not the problem this time.” Jerami Grant “Grant has been one of the standout rookie defenders without much attention despite carrying an automatic spotlight as the son of Harvey, nephew of Horace and brother of possible 2015 first-rounder (and Notre Dame standout) Jerian. Jerami has also turned into a decent offensive threat in the last 20 games, earning a Ladder audition. That's the key word: audition. He is the seventh different player at No. 10 in as many weeks, one of the signs of the soft ground under the bottom half of the pack.”

Here’s NBA.com’s full list:

1) Andrew Wiggins (Minnesota)

2) Nerlens Noel (Philadelphia)

3) Elfrid Payton (Orlando)

4) K.J. McDaniels (Philadelphia)

5) Nikola Mirotic (Chicago)

6) Jusuf Nurkic (Denver)

7) Marcus Smart (Boston)

8) Zach LaVine (Minnesota)

9) Tarik Black (Los Angeles)

10) Jerami Grant (Philadelphia)