NBA Notes: Spurs, Stephon Castle, Lakers, Bronny James, Kings

Spurs

Stephon Castle said the Rookie of the Year trophy was great and all, but it doesn’t change the daily mindset.

He told Marc J. Spears of Andscape that once you win it, it’s locked in the history books. Then you move on and you go make your actual career.

“I feel like once you get it, your name is installed in history,” Castle said. “And then you have to go make your career after that. I’m not going out there saying I’m the Rookie of the Year. You got to go out there and play. I’m just trying to improve every year.”

Castle is doing more than that.

He’s been the Spurs’ on-ball engine while De’Aaron Fox has been sidelined. Through eight games, Castle is averaging 18.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.6 assists. He’s also guarding top scorers and making life difficult for just about everyone.

“He can impact winning whether he is on the ball, off the ball, defensively,” coach Mitch Johnson said. “He’s going to guard a ton of different profiles. He has an opportunity to affect the game as much as anybody.”

Lakers

The Lakers are down bodies again, but Bronny James is using it as an opening and actually impacting games.

As Thuc Nhi Nguyen of The Los Angeles Times noted, James played 18 and 19 minutes in back-to-back wins over Miami and Portland — and he helped close both fourth quarters.

“Ready to take advantage of the times that I get when our guys are out,” James said. “I’m going to stay aggressive.”

Coach JJ Redick said the biggest leap has been processing speed. He wants players to catch the ball and decide in half a second — shoot, pass or go.

“He’s now developed where he’s got a great point-five mentality,” Redick said. “He’s catch-and-shoot ready at all times.”

Kings

Keon Ellis figured he’d have a bigger role after finishing second in three-point percentage for the Kings last season (43 percent) and ranking second in the NBA in deflections.

Instead, he’s barely cracked 20 minutes in three of the first nine games, as Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee wrote.

“Because I know if I go out there, I do what I do,” Ellis said. “If I don’t go out there, it is what it is. I control what I can control.”

Sacramento added Dennis Schroder and Russell Westbrook in the offseason. That’s the logjam. And with Keegan Murray coming back soon, it’s about to get even more crowded.

“It’s a numbers game,” coach Doug Christie said. “Night to night, it could be different. Keon’s a pro so I know he’ll be ready and prepared.”