SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Spurs' Stephon Castle played in limited games during the 2024 NBA Summer League but showed flashes of just how good he can be on both ends of the court.
In his lone game in Las Vegas, Castle scored 22 points, four assists, and five rebounds in 29 minutes against the Blazers. In two games at the California Classic, he averaged 15.0 points per game, including 36% field-goal shooting, six rebounds, and four assists.
Despite that respectable showing, some NBA executives do not believe the No. 4 pick will walk away with the 2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
In an ESPN poll, Houston rookie Reed Sheppard was voted (seven votes) to win the Rookie of the Year award by a panel of NBA executives and scouts. Castle landed third in the poll with three votes.
The same poll voted Memphis' Zach Edy second in the race for the Rookie of the Year Award over the Spurs guard.
He has yet to play an official NBA game, but his Summer League play showed how good he can be in his first season and beyond.
Statistics aside, he showed poise, tenacious defense, and an outside shot, which earned him praise from coach Gregg Popovich.
"I love his seriousness for such a young kid. I love his pace," Popovich said. "You see, his expression never changes, and he doesn't go too fast; he doesn't go too slow. He reads the situations. He's going to be a quick study, I think, and get to play on the court pretty quickly."
Castle's contributions to the team will be interesting to see unfold.
His defense is NBA-ready, and offensively, he will be able to contribute immediately.
His rookie season will have learning moments, but his future is bright. Having a Hall of Fame coach guide him will also benefit Castle's development and help keep him running for the Rookie of the Year Award.
In the ESPN poll, Castle was voted the third-best rookie to be the draft's best pick. He followed Sheppard at No. 1 and his former UConn teammate, Blazers' Donovan Clingan at No. 2.