Spurs Castle Named Rookie of the Year

Winning through adversity.

San Antonio guard Stephon Castle was named NBA Rookie of the Year on Tuesday, joining his teammate Victor Wembanyama as the second consecutive Spurs player to win the award in the last two years.

“I’ve always been super confident as a player,” Castle told ESPN. “So, I felt like there was no doubt in my mind that I would eventually get to this point, especially with all the work that I put in. I felt like it was just inevitable to happen. I feel like [confidence is] what really got me to this point, and not holding myself back from anything.”

Castle won the award by a landslide over the Atlanta Hawks’ Zaccharie Risacher, who was the No. 1 overall pick in last June’s draft out of France, and the Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaylen Wells. Castle earned 482 total points, compared to the 245 Risacher received. Wells rounded out the top three with 123 points. Washington Wizards Alex Sarr finished fourth, and Grizzlies center Zach Edey out of Purdue came in fifth.

“The first thing I think about [with] Rookie of the Year, [is you] get one chance to win it,” Spurs star Wembanyama said. “So, it’s a big, big milestone. I’m really proud of Steph for what he’s done in his adaptation in the league and his growth.”

Castle joined the Spurs as the No. 4 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft after a single standout season at UConn in which he helped lead the Huskies to a second straight NCAA championship as a freshman.

Playing on a Spurs team with 19-year veteran Chris Paul at point guard, Castle began his rookie season as a reserve coming off the bench. He eventually gained the trust of his coaches and earned a part-time spot in the starting lineup that evolved into a full-time role in the backcourt playing alongside his idol Paul for the final month of the season after De’Aaron Fox’s season-ending finger injury.

In 81 games, including 47 starts, Castle played well beyond his years, averaging 14.7 points, 4.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game while shooting 42.8% from the field and 28.5% from 3-point range.

“He’ll be a dynamic force to be reckoned with,” acting Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said.

Castle is the Rookie of the Year in a relatively down rookie class that did not offer many players or challengers to stand in his way for the honor. Risacher and Sarr (No. 2 overall) were drafted as raw talent and projects, and each looked the part for much of their respective rookie seasons.

Risacher, a 6-foot-8 forward, averaged 12.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game while shooting 45.8% from the field and 35.5% from beyond the arc. Sarr, a 7-foot center, showed flashes of his ability to play both ends of the court as the season wore on but struggled with his efficiency and consistency. He averaged 13 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 39.4% from the field and 30.8% on 5.1 3-point attempts per game.

Reed Sheppard, meanwhile, struggled to find playing time in Ime Udoka’s Houston Rockets rotation after being selected No. 3 overall by Houston. He played just 12.6 minutes per game in 52 appearances, averaging 4.4 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting a pedestrian 35.1% from the floor and 33.8% from the great beyond. A popular preseason pick to compete for Rookie of the Year, Sheppard’s campaign petered out before it got off the ground.

Even with his coach out due to illness and Wemby sidelined as well, due to a blood clot, in the end, Castle offered the most consistent and productive rookie campaign, even as he struggled with efficiency. He was effective on both ends of the floor and was not afraid to guard opposing teams’ top perimeter threats.

“We have a lot of history in this organization,” Castle told ESPN.
“So, to add another thing to our trophy case would definitely mean a lot, especially if it’s something that my name is being engraved into.”

Castle mastered his patented slow step during Week 1 with the Spurs. So, naturally, he is excited about what he can accomplish over the course of an entire offseason in San Antonio.

“This is my first real offseason,” Castle told ESPN. “So, I finally get a chance to just work on my game. Honestly, it’s the first season I’m not doing some type of summer training, getting ready for a team, AAU or something like that. So, I’ll be able to actually just get in the lab and work on everything: facilitating, shooting. I need to get my handle sharper as well. Also, playing in the summer and not just doing workouts will help in knowing how to manage games better and stuff like that.”

Alongside Wembanyama and Fox, Castle projects as an integral part of San Antonio’s promising core moving forward. With the Spurs in the lottery again, they will have an opportunity to add another talented young player in June’s NBA Draft.