After a great start, Adrian Griffin's minutes have gone down in Boston.

Last week in the Rookie Report we highlighted the second-round draft picks -- it wasn't easy. Two weeks ago we gave our list of the top five rookies at that point. This week, we're going to do what sometimes works best and just ramble about guys we want to ramble about by discussing the plight of five rookies who have played significantly better or worse than they did the first few weeks.

Anyway, here are guys we want to talk about and what they've been up to. At the bottom we update some of the others in the news. As always, any suggestions or comments click here. All stats are through Wednesday. Enjoy.

ROOKIES ON OUR MIND

Player, Stats	ESPN.com Skinny
Jason Terry, PG, Hawks 9 points, 2.5 rebounds No. 10 pick overall (Arizona)	Hawks fans have been writing in to let us know what Terry has been up to, saying we're not giving the rookie any love, but we've been paying attention all along. Terry is playing OK and he's being brought along slowly. Bimbo Coles remains the starter, and the Hawks have been winning, so don't look for the rookie to start anytime soon. Terry still turns the ball over too much -- 45 assists and 35 turnovers -- but he also has proven he can score on occasion. In his last seven games, Terry hasn't reached double figures in scoring nor topped four assists in a game. It's too early to hit the rookie wall, so look for Terry's luck to change shortly.
Ron Artest, SF, Bulls 11.1 points, 3.1 rebounds No. 16 pick overall (St. John's)	The Bulls are horrible and it's a shame a guy like Artest -- along with fellow rookie Elton Brand -- have to begin their career on a team that may not win 10 games. At least these rookies will be prepared when the team adds a little talent. Artest is blooming right now. In two of his last three games, he's made more than half his shots and topped 20 points. He's clearly got three-point range (six threes in last three games) and he can rebound (better than five per game as a starter). So why did the Knicks pass up a hometown guy who could've helped right away? What numbers are Frederic Weis putting up, anyway?
Adrian Griffin, SF, Celtics 10.4 points, 7.3 rebounds Not drafted (Seton Hall)	The co-rookie of the month in November with Lamar Odom has clearly slowed down recently. Griffin was getting about nine rebounds a game until a week ago when he began a stretch with three straight games with only three boards. Against the Heat and Sixers he took only three shots in each game, and Rick Pitino has cut his minutes drastically from when he was giving the CBA refugee 40 minutes a night. It's more like 25 a night now, and if Danny Fortson ever comes back those minutes certainly won't go up. Maybe a good team player really can't fit in on every team.
Shawn Marion, SF, Suns 10.1 points, 5.7 rebounds No. 9 pick overall (UNLV)	Before the high-flying Marion went on the injured list with a knee injury he was clearly slowing down. He did manage to light up the lowly Nets for 27 points on 11-of-19 shooting, grab eight rebounds and block five shots, but in the three games prior to that he shot six-for-25 and it was clear Clifford Robinson was taking back some of the minutes he had lost. Marion hit double figures in scoring in seven of the first nine games, but only twice in six games since. His field goal percentage went under .400 until his last game and his minutes were down as well. In a fast-paced running game, Marion fits right in. But the Suns haven't been able to rely on running all the time, and Robinson and Rodney Rogers fit in better at times.
Vonteego Cummings, PG, Warriors 5.4 points, 2.2 assists No. 26 pick overall (Pittsburgh)	Mookie Blaylock's backup hasn't enjoyed himself much lately. Sure, he had his career game on Dec. 2 against Seattle, pumping in 19 points on six-of-nine shooting in only 24 minutes, but that was more aberration than anything else. In the game prior to that and the two games since, Cummings has not hit a field goal and totaled three points and three assists total. Blaylock is key to the Warriors' fortunes -- such as they are -- so Mookie logs major minutes. When he's not in the lineup, Cummings hasn't necessarily been the guy to replace him. This is not likely to be a good rookie season for Vonteego.
Eddie Robinson, SF, Hornets 7.3 points, 1.8 rebounds Not drafted (Central Oklahoma)	It wasn't a major college, but Robinson did average 28 points (Led Div. II) and 9.5 rebounds his final year in school, and the Hornets felt they had a major find. After seeing very little time the first month, Robinson has contributed the last three games with 16, 18 and 15 points and hit 23-of-34 shots in that time. He's not rebounding much and he doesn't pass well or hit the three, but the athletic Robinson will continue to see time as long as he shoots this well.