Spurs' Stephon Castle Running Away as Rookie of the Year Favorite

Stephon Castle put the NBA on notice in Sunday night's matchup with the runaway favorites to come out of the Western Conference. The one-and-done rookie followed a 24-point, 7-assist performance against the Grizzlies with a statement game against the Thunder.

Castle was extroardinary all night long pouring in 32 points on 12-of-21 shooting in 32 minutes off the bench. These numbers are even more impressive when considering he was going up against the league's best defensive team littered with All-Defense-worthy guards. It is evident Castle's confidence is growing as the season progresses having taken 10 threes and attacking defenders without hesitation.

The UConn product was highly coveted coming out of his lone collegiate season because of his size, athleticism, ball skills and off-ball cutting. These traits have translated to the NBA level and he has shown he's got a chance to be an on-ball creator over time. Castle gets to the rim at will and uses his size to finish through contact. He has stood out recently using dribble moves to blow past defenders and crafty finishes when he gets in the paint. One move in particular stood out Sunday night when Castle drove towards the right baseline and used a snatchback crossover knocking down the 15-foot jumper and almost dropping the Thunder defender in the process. Despite only being 20 years old, Castle has shown he has the tools that could make him into a special player sooner rather than later.

Looking at the season holistically, Castle has struggled with efficiency shooting 41.9% from the field and 28.4% from three, both ranking towards the bottom of the league among qualified players. While this is not something for the Spurs to feel good about, there is little cause for concern for a few reasons. The first would obviously be his age and the time it takes to adjust to the NBA game. For the vast majority of rookies they come in to the league having to learn how to be productive in a smaller role than the one they were used to in college. For Castle, it is quite the opposite. He was more of a slasher and off-ball cutter for his national champion UConn team last year. Though he's not asked to carry the load for the Spurs, Castle has more room and freedom to operate and create for himself with NBA spacing.

Another reason Castle's inefficiency shouldn't be a concern is because of the multitude of ways he impacts games and the versatility he possesses. At 6'6 and 215 lbs, Castle possesses unique size for a guard that allows him to play bigger than his position. He had a couple offensive rebounds for second chance points against the Thunder including one where he soared over seven-footer Isaiah Hartenstein for an and-one putback. Castle also does a great job cutting and finding open areas for dumpoffs that few guards are able to do in a ball dominant league, and has shown a strong passing ability that could allow him more on-ball reps next season.

Even with Castle's ineffeciency and occasional lapses on the defensive end, he possesses all the tools to become a special player in the NBA. With Victor Wembanyama out for the rest of the season, the Spurs should prioritize Stephon Castle's development and see what he could do with increased opportunity.

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