Stephon Castle is not waiting for the league to make it official.
The San Antonio Spurs rookie made a bold statement about the Rookie of the Year race, telling Paul Garcia, “I feel like, at this point, I pretty much got it locked up.”
Castle, who has appeared in 77 of the Spurs’ 78 games this season, is currently the betting favorite in Las Vegas with one week remaining in the regular season.
The 20-year-old is averaging 14.5 points, 3.9 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 0.9 steals in 26.3 minutes per game while shooting 42.4% from the field and 28.3% from three.
Among all first-year players, Castle ranks second in scoring behind Jared McCain, who averaged 15.3 points for Philadelphia but has only played in 23 games due to injury.
Castle’s case is built on both production and availability, as no Rookie of the Year winner in a standard-length season has appeared in fewer than 50 games.
Other rookies, including Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr, and Bub Carrington, have been key contributors this year but haven’t matched Castle’s combination of consistency, usage, and minutes.
Carrington leads all rookies in assists (4.3) and minutes (29.7), but his 9.6 points per game on 40.3% shooting is below Castle’s offensive output.
Sarr has provided rim protection in Washington with 1.5 blocks per game but is scoring 13.0 points on just 39.6% from the floor.
Risacher has posted 12.4 points per game while shooting 44.9% from the field and 34.6% from deep, but his role and impact have fluctuated in Atlanta’s rotation.
Jaylen Wells, Justin Edwards, and Isaiah Collier have also seen regular minutes but remain behind Castle in total production and team role.
Castle ranks top five among all rookies in total assists, steals, and free throw attempts, and has logged more minutes than any other eligible candidate.
San Antonio closes the season with four remaining games, giving Castle further opportunity to solidify his résumé.
