The NBA regular season is almost complete, and the race for Rookie of the Year will wrap up in the next few weeks.
There have been multiple rookies in this year's class who have performed well, but a few players have set themselves apart from the rest of the bunch at the top of the list. On Wednesday, April 2, Steve Aschburner released his latest edition of the Kia Rookie Ladder on NBA.com, with San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle again taking the top spot.
Castle has held his position on the Kia Rookie Ladder for more than a month, displaying a solid skill set on both ends of the floor at just 20-years-old. In his first professional season, the Spurs' rookie is averaging 14.3 points, 3.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game.
Castle's shooting splits haven't been great this year at 42.3% from the field and 28.7% from 3-point range, but the former Connecticut standout's impact is impossible to ignore. After Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox were both forced to sit out the remainder of the season, Castle was given the opportunity to take on a bigger role in his rookie year, which should help the young guard's development.
With Castle, who seems likely to win Rookie of the Year in 2025, and Wembanyama, who won Rookie of the Year in 2024, the Spurs have an impressive young duo who should be able to lead the team to success in the future. Adding Fox to the mix should only improve the Spurs chances of returning to their old form.
Castle was selected with the No. 4 overall pick by San Antonio in last year's NBA Draft. Coming out of high school, the first-year standout was a five-star recruit who chose to play for Dan Hurley at Connecticut.
Playing alongside Portland Trail Blazers' rookie center Donovan Clingan in Storrs, CT, the duo helped the Huskies bring home their second consecutive national title. The 6-foot-6, 215-pound Castle averaged 11.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists in his lone season at Connecticut. shooting 47.2% from the floor and 26.7% from beyond the arc.
Castle is followed in the Kia Rookie Ladder by Zaccharie Risacher at No. 2, Alex Sarr at No. 3, Kel'el Ware at No. 4 and Jaylen Wells at No. 5.
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