San Antonio guard Stephon Castle was named NBA Rookie of the Year on Tuesday, joining Victor Wembanyama as the second consecutive Spurs player to win the award.
Castle overwhelmingly won the award over the Atlanta Hawks’ Zaccharie Risacher, who was the No. 1 overall pick in last summer’s draft, and the Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaylen Wells. Castle earned 482 total points, compared to the 245 Risacher received. Wells finished third with 123 points. Washington’s Alex Sarr finished fourth, and Grizzlies big man Zach Edey came in fifth.
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 veteran Chris Paul at point guard, Castle began his rookie season coming off the bench. He eventually earned a part-time spot in the starting lineup that evolved to a full-time role in the backcourt playing alongside Paul for the final month of the season after De’Aaron Fox’s season-ending finger injury.
In 81 games, including 47 starts, Castle averaged 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 distance.
Castle is the Rookie of the Year in a relatively down rookie class that didn’t offer many challengers for the honor. Risacher and Sarr (No. 2 overall) were drafted as projects, and each looked the part for much of their respective rookie campaigns.
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 3-point distance. Sarr, a 7-foot center, flashed his two-way upside as the season progressed but struggled with his efficiency. 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 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 35.1% from the floor 33.8% from 3. A popular preseason pick to compete for Rookie of the Year, Sheppard’s campaign fizzled before it got off the ground.
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 regularly guarded opposing teams’ top perimeter weapons.
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’ll have an opportunity to add another talented young player in June’s NBA Draft.
