Stephon Castle stands out among 'Rising Stars' en route to MVP honors

During Castle’s first matchup of the Rising Stars Challenge, as a member of Team C taking on Team T, the first-year guard looked comfortable and confident among upper-echelon peers. 

To cap off Castle’s six-point, four-rebound, four-assist opening game, he drilled a smooth game-winning midrange step-back jumper over 2024 No. 2 overall pick Alexandre Sarr, leading Team C to a 40-34 win.

In Castle’s second game, he appeared even more aggressive than in the first. Taking on Team G League, Castle looked determined to prove to everyone in the arena and watching on TV that he was not going to be kept out of the paint. 

Castle routinely used superior athleticism and strength to position himself for point-blank layups and dunks. He secured both a dominant 25-14 win over Team G League and MVP honors with an easy 12 points — nearly half of his team’s target points (25) — on 5-of-8 shooting.

Castle has been showing a similarly dynamic level of play all year long with the Spurs. 

Sure, he has his shortcomings; he’s not quite a true point guard nor a legitimate two-guard, and he also has a ways to go as a shooter, as he's just 28.9% from three this season. 

But the 2024 NCAA champion is a winner with a great feel for the game. The fact that the Spurs are currently home to both Chris Paul and De’Aaron Fox and still have been calling on the rookie to play significant minutes just goes to show the faith that they have in him. 

Look for Castle to continue to be a mainstay in the Rookie of the Year race for the rest of the season while simultaneously building himself up to be a starting-caliber guard for years to come.