Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon, one of the surprises of this season's rookie class, has already established himself as the steal of the 2016 NBA Draft.

Selected No. 36 overall by Milwaukee, Brogdon was essentially a five-year player since he redshirted a year at the University of Virginia. Perhaps his age (24) caused him to slide into the second round. Still, Brogdon was a true star at Virginia and as a senior he won ACC Player of the Year, NABC Defensive Player of the Year and was a consensus first-team All-American.

Now with the Bucks, Brogdon is starting and using his NBA Draft slight as motivation.

From NBA.com's Steve Aschburner:

"My whole career, I've been an underdog, I've been underestimated," Brogdon said after Milwaukee's game against New York on Friday. "Therefore I've had a chip on my shoulder my entire career.

"Being drafted in the second round when you think you're supposed to be in the first round, a lottery pick, the chip grows bigger. And you have more to prove."

Brogdon has already proven a fair amount since the start of the season. But good news for the Bucks, it sounds like that chip on his shoulder will keep motivating him throughout his career.

This week's rankings:

This week's rankings
1
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Joel Embiid Philadelphia 76ers C
Last week: No. 1
Embiid might want to play point guard at some point in his career but he is doing a mighty fine job at center right now. The Sixers rookie big man is doing such a good job that his personal All-Star voting campaign actually has some serious legs due to his consistent strong play. Plus, thanks to Embiid, the Sixers are actually winning and apparently have their eyes set on the playoffs.
2
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Malcolm Brogdon Milwaukee Bucks SG
Last week: No. 2
The Bucks have started calling Brogdon " The President," which dates from his college days at Virginia. His teammates gave him that nickname because of how he talks and approaches the game with such intensity. It may not be the best nickname in the NBA and besides that moniker, there is nothing negative to say about Brogdon. The Bucks have kept the rookie in the starting lineup despite Matthew Dellavedova returning from injury. As a result, Brogdon is delivering. In a loss to the Wizards, he scored 22 points, and then in a win against the Spurs, Brogdon finished with 17 points, six rebounds and six assists. Don't sleep on Brogdon, he's a large part of Milwaukee's success this season.
3
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Buddy Hield New Orleans Pelicans SG
Last week: No. 3
Hield's consistent shooting keeps him in the top three. In his past 10 games, he is averaging 11.3 points while shooting 42.4 percent and 50 percent from downtown. That 3-point percentage is legit too, as Hield is averaging 4.8 attempts from beyond the arc during that stretch. Also of note, Hield is third among all rookies in scoring, averaging 9.2 points. If Hield can keep this up, it will only aid New Orleans' chances of climbing up the standings and joining the fight for the eighth seed in the Western Conference.
4
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Dario Saric Philadelphia 76ers PF
Last week: No. 4
Saric didn't take too kindly to T.J. McConnell pouring water on his head during a postgame interview:

But who could blame McConnell for the prank? It was, after all, in good intention and a way to congratulate Saric on a solid 18-point, five-rebound performance in a win against the Nets. Saric has been largely consistent for the Sixers and continues to be an excellent building block alongside Embiid. He is second among all rookies in scoring and rebounding.

5
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Brandon Ingram Los Angeles Lakers SF
Last week: No. 7
Ingram has really stepped up his offensive game over the past few games. The Lakers rookie has scored in double-digits in four straight games, which includes back-to-back games of 17 points. His shooting has also been efficient in this stretch. Ingram is a versatile player and if he finally finds his stroke, then his overall game will keep getting better and better.
6
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Isaiah Whitehead Brooklyn Nets PG
Last week: No. 6
Whitehead is shaping up to be a fine player and will likely be a solid backup for the entirety of his career. He is starting in Brooklyn for now (Jeremy Lin is still injured) and is playing well. Nothing sensational but just very consistent. Whiteside is third among all rookies in assists and is ninth in scoring.
7
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Marquese Chriss Phoenix Suns SG
Last week: Unranked
Chriss jumps right into the rankings and is immediately at seventh, mainly due to the poor performances of some of his fellow rookies. Chriss is playing pretty good as a starter for the Suns. He has had two double-digit scoring games in the last week, which includes an 18-point outing against the Heat. Chriss is in the top 10 among rookies in points, rebounds and blocks.
8
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Domantas Sabonis Oklahoma City Thunder PF
Last week: No. 10
Sabonis' shooting has been pretty inconsistent lately -- he hasn't knocked down a 3-pointer in Oklahoma City's past four games. Yet, Sabonis is a fine rebounder (eighth among all rookies) and plays a key role starting for the Thunder. He has shown earlier in the season that he can shoot, so once he finds the range again, Sabonis will likely rise in the rankings.
9
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Jamal Murray Denver Nuggets SG
Last week: No. 9
Similar to Sabonis, Murray's shooting hasn't really been there. He was the Western Conference Rookie of the Month in November but since then, Murray has dropped off the map. He is consistently getting minutes for the Nuggets but only averaging 8 points. He is fifth among all rookies in scoring.
10
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Andrew Harrison Memphis Grizzlies PG
Last week: No. 5
Harrison's minutes have been drastically reduced in Memphis' past two games, which of course caused his production to really diminish. If that is a sign of things to come, then Harrison likely will fall out of the rankings. Averaging 3.6 assists, Harrison remains second among all rookies.