Shawn Marion is definitely a rookie to watch.

People were talking about Lamar Odom and Steve Francis long before the season began, but now people are talking about a lot of other low-profile rookies as well. ESPN's Fred Carter knows a thing or two about rookies, having been one once in the NBA (way back in 1969-70, when he averaged 5.2 points a night for the Baltimore Bullets). To be fair to Fred, he went on to have a successful NBA career and averaged 20 points a game in three seasons.

Anyway, Fred has a lot to say and here's his chance to say it. The Rookie Report will not discuss the best first-year players every week, because we'd be talking about the same guys each time. Fred will discuss players that are on his mind, and this week he discusses Odom, Francis, Shawn Marion, Elton Brand and Todd MacCulloch.

Look for Fred's Rookie Report every Thursday on ESPN.com. All stats are through Wednesday.

Rookies who are on Fred's mind

PLAYER, STATS	MAD DOG'S SKINNY
Lamar Odom, SF, Clippers 5 games, .410 FG, .768 FT 19.4 PPG, 8.6 rebs, 3 ast.	"Extremely athletic, clever with or without the ball. He knows his way around the floor. He gets shots, absorbs contact to get the shot. I'm not surprised at how well he is doing. I knew he was talented, and he's taking this right in stride. Has tremendous poise."
Steve Francis, PG, Rockets 5 games, .410 FG, .692 FT 14.4 PPG, 4.6 ast, 11 steals	"Mr. Excitement. What I'd like to see is him improve his shooting. He's outstanding getting to the basket. He's a little negative defensively, and a lot of the point guards now are scoring guards. He has the strength to get in front of guys."
Shawn Marion, SF, Suns 5 games, .404 FG, .900 FT 11 PPG, 8 rebs, 6 blocks	"Extremely athletic. A gifted athlete with the ability to get to the basket. He makes the outside shot. He moved into a position to get drafted at No. 9 out of UNLV. He worked on his game and developed it. Phoenix really needs that outside shooting. He's also an excellent runner, tough around the basket. He's so good he bumped Cliff Robinson out of the starting lineup."
Elton Brand, PF, Bulls 4 games, .390 FG, .720 FT 12.5 PPG, 8 rebs, 3 blocks	"He plays with a team where he will get ample time to develop. The Bulls are weak in the talent pool. Brand gets the ball in the low post and will use his body and strength. He has quick feet and quick hands and his game is maturing, although he gives up size every night."
Todd MacCulloch, C 76ers 5 games, .625 FG 8.2 PPG, 6.8 rebs, 9 blocks	"He is an interesting big man. Philly grabbed a 7-footer with good hands and court awareness, and you know the rest will fall in line. He's young and immature, but he can make the jump shot and stands his ground and rebounds well. Teams are wondering why they passed this guy up. He was supposed to play in Europe this year but he played so well this summer. He has soft hands, can catch balls and make a layup. You know, a lot of guys can't do that. MacCulloch is my darkhorse for the all-rookie team."

Central Division: Jason Terry has yet to supplant Bimbo Coles at the point in Atlanta, and it may actually take a while because the veteran is playing so well. Terry gets 15 minutes a night and is scoring 9 points in those games. His passing? Well, like most rookies, he's turnover prone, with 13 turnovers and 12 assists. ... Baron Davis is showing flashes of being very far along for the Hornets, but knee issues remain. He's quick and can pass. Outside shooting is a question. ... Ron Artest is third on the Bulls in scoring, but it's only 10 points a night. He has a great chance to see time here. He's shooting .382 so far. ... Like Terry, Andre Miller will find playing time difficult if the starter (Brevin Knight) continues to play so well. Miller is shooting .609 so far with 20 assists and only 7 turnovers. ... Teammate Trajan Langdon is seeing the same amount of time, and doing just fine.

Midwest Division: Denver's James Posey started a few games with Chauncey Billups out, but did little. Averaging 5.8 points in 18 minutes. ... Wally World has begun in Minnesota. Sczcerbiak can definitely play, though we're surprised he has no threes in the first two games. It's only two games, though.

Pacific Division: No rookies of note other than Odom and Marion.