Former UConn Phenom Stephon Castle Predicted To Win 2025 NBA Rookie Of The Year Award
With the NBA trade deadline ending on Feb. 6, it’s appropriate to make confident team and player predictions for the rest of the season.
In a respected NBA writer’s opinion, former UConn NCAA champion guard Stephon Castle will prevail in the 2025 NBA Rookie of the Year race.
“Despite a move to the bench following the team's trade for De'Aaron Fox, San Antonio Spurs freshman Stephon Castle will still take home Rookie of the Year,” Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz wrote Monday.
“With Philadelphia 76ers rookie Jared McCain out for the season following knee surgery, Castle is now the NBA's leading scorer (12.7 points per game) among all first-year players. The 20-year-old is also putting up 2.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 0.8 steals in his 25.7 minutes."
“In three games off the bench since the team traded for Fox, Castle is averaging 19.7 points in a sixth-man role, including a 33-point outburst against the Charlotte Hornets. He'll continue to destroy other team's second units with his athleticism and size.”
“In what's been a predictably weak draft class overall, Castle will hold off players like Jaylen Wells, Zach Edey, Kel'el Ware, Yves Missi and others for top rookie honors.”
Many will criticize Castle for his poor efficiency in Year 1, but there’s no doubt he’s having an impactful rookie campaign with the Spurs.
As a durable 6-foot-6 guard who doesn’t play too fast, give minimal defensive effort, or disengage while playing off the ball, Castle gives San Antonio ample reasons to be excited about the future.
Castle, who spent the 2023-24 college basketball season with the Huskies before declaring for the NBA draft, is among the main reasons the Fox and Victor Wembanyama-led Spurs are much improved from a year ago.
Although Castle doesn’t have the Rookie of the Year award locked up in mid-February, Swartz wisely pointed out that the 2024 lottery pick’s competition isn’t daunting, which could help him pull away from the rest of the pack down the stretch.
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Caleb Hightower is a graduate of Hofstra University and can write about any sport, but he has a particular passion for basketball – specifically college and NBA. He has written for publications such as FanBuzz and Busting Brackets since graduating. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "UConn Huskies On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org Twitter: https://x.com/CalebHightower1