Has Spurs' Stephon Castle Wrapped Up Rookie of the Year?

According to the Kia NBA Rookie Ladder, Spurs guard Stephon Castle has been in control of the Rookie of the Year Award for the last couple of months, if not more, putting up a stat line of 14.3 points per game, as well as 3.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists.

Playing a combo guard kind of role for San Antonio, Castle has been the most consistent first-year player in the league, helping on both ends of the floor as a legit two-way player despite his age.

Some of the others in the conversation are Zaccharie Risacher from the Atlanta Hawks, who is averaging 12.4 points and 3.7 rebounds, and currently sits at second according to the Ladder. He became one of four first-overall picks to record 35 or more points and five or more three-pointers made in a game as a rookie, along with LeBron James, Allen Iverson, and Anthony Edwards.

Big men Alex Sarr (Washington Wizards) and Kel'el Ware (Miami Heat) take the No. 3 and No. 4 spots, each one contributing to his respective team with rim running ability as well as rebounding. Former Washington State wing Jaylen Wells of the Memphis Grizzlies rounds out the top five after providing great shooting for a team that needed spacing.

Despite solid seasons from his draft classmates, Castle has outperformed all others, providing a winning combination of offense and defense aided by his size at 6-foot-7. His wingspan makes him a difficult player to blow by off of the dribble, and his frame makes him more difficult to back down than other players at his position. As the fourth-overall pick in the 2024 Draft, Castle was a player that had high expectations coming into the year, and exceeded them as part of a team that drastically improved over last year's record, where they went from 22-60 two seasons in a row to winning 10 more games already with five more to play.

It's safe to say at this point that Castle has all but locked up the Rookie of the Year, which would be the second consecutive time the Spurs have had a player win the award after Victor Wembanyama won it last season. The Spurs, with the addition of De'Aaron Fox, are a team that wants to start winning sooner rather than later, and have made the moves necessary to do so in the last couple of years.