Players such as Washington’s Bub Carrington and the rest of the rookie field are eyeing Stephon Castle’s No. 1 spot.
San Antonio’s Stephon Castle hangs onto the top spot on the Kia Rookie Ladder and remains a betting favorite in Las Vegas for the NBA’s Wilt Chamberlain Trophy as the league’s top first-year player.
But nothing is guaranteed. Reflective of how close the Class of 2024 was coming in, there has been no runaway and every rung-holder has identifiable strengths and weaknesses.
In Castle’s case, the flurry of changes in San Antonio has brought challenges. With De’Aaron Fox dropped into the backcourt via the trade with the Sacramento Kings, on top of pivotal young star Victor Wembanyama (shoulder blood clot) getting shut down for the season, added to coach Gregg Popovich’s indefinite absence (stroke), Castle has had a bushel of adjustments to make as a player and as a new professional.
Over the past five games heading into Wednesday at Houston (9:30 ET, ESPN), the 6-foot-6 guard has averaged 9.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists. He has made only 33% of his shots (20% from the arc) and averaged 19.5 minutes, all off the bench in the Spurs’ latest rotation.
Against New Orleans Tuesday, he scored four points in only 12 minutes and had interim coach Mitch Johnson answering questions about Castle sitting out the fourth quarter entirely.
The ROY race, in other words, is up for grabs at this stage.
• So how do NBA fans feel now about rookies playing on All-Star Sunday? It was clear that a few league veterans — Draymond Green was the most outspoken — didn’t appreciate the presence of that Castrol Rising Stars squad in the All-Star Game mini-tournament, on top of eight legit All-Stars getting bumped out in the so-called semifinal.
• Castle’s takeaways from the big weekend, in which he was named MVP of the Castrol Rising Stars competition and challenged winner Mac McClung in the AT&T Slam Dunk? “I’m exhausted,” he said. “I felt like my third dunk could have been a 50, but I understand it being a 49. But if I’d just made it on the first try, I probably would’ve got the edge.”
• Interesting rookie dynamics in Minnesota continue, with Terrence Shannon Jr. bringing a newfound physical presence to the Timberwolves. Recently it was Jaylen Clark having an impact beyond expectations. Both Clark and Shannon have helped the Wolves while No. 8 pick Rob Dillingham remains focused on development.
Buzelis: ‘I would like to win [ROY]” Chicago’s Matas Buzelis probably hasn’t persuaded anyone outside of his immediate family with that stated ambition. He was, after all, tardy to his NBA rookie experience because the Bulls – indecisive again about which direction the franchise was headed – kept the No. 11 pick on a short leash right up to the trade deadline. His season stats – 6.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg – probably can’t get boosted enough in what’s left of the schedule. Still, he has averaged 14 points on 51.6% shooting in February.
“I can definitely make a run for it,” Buzelis told Bulls.com. “I definitely believe that and I’m going to manifest it.”
(All stats through Tuesday, Feb. 25)
1. Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs
Season stats: 12.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 3.4 apg
Last Ladder: No. 1
Draft pick: No. 4
Castle’s numbers have dropped lately, but his outlook remains strong. In an interview with Andscape.com at the end of All-Star Weekend, the Spurs newcomer spoke of his NBA journey so far: “If you would’ve told me a year ago I’d be in this position, I probably wouldn’t believe you. But I feel I just became accustomed to all the work I put in and my faith in God. And I thank God for all these opportunities.”
2. Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies
Season stats: 11.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.6 apg
Last Ladder: No. 3
Draft pick: No. 39
Since the last Ladder, Wells has posted 15 ppg and 3.8 rpg, shooting 54.2% overall and 44.8% from the arc. He has been in steady pursuit of Castle or anyone else (besides him) who has held the top rung this season. Said coach Taylor Jenkins about his consistency at both ends and rookie-wall avoidance: “His discipline is the thing that has really stood out the most. He is having successful moments and growth moments, as well. When he makes a mistake, he really corrects it pretty quickly.”
3. Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies
Season stats: 9.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.2 bpg
Last Ladder: No. 2
Draft pick: No. 9
The Grizzlies love Edey’s defensive presence and willingness to try to erase teammates’ mistakes. Then there’s the way he has their back, evident again in the kerfuffle against Cleveland. “He went after my player,” Edey said.
4. Kel’el Ware, Miami Heat
Season stats: 8.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1 bpg
Last Ladder: No. 5
Draft pick: No. 15
His counting stats have moved him up the rungs (9.6 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 1.2 bpg since the last Ladder). But a nice breakdown of Ware’s 15 starts revealed some defensive flaws, including this: Miami’s defensive rating (117.9) when Ware is on the floor without Bam Adebayo would rank 27th of 30. Better news: When both are out there, it’s 106.1, which would rank second.
5. Yves Missi, New Orleans Pelicans
Season stats: 8.5 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 1.5 bpg
Last Ladder: No. 4
Draft pick: No. 21
Skip the rookies, Missi ranks fourth in offensive rebounding per 36 minutes among all 193 players who have logged 1,000+ minutes. He’s at 4.7 rpg, trailing only Walker Kessler (5.5), Clint Capela (5.3) and Jalen Duren (5).
6. Zaccharie Risacher, Atlanta Hawks
Season stats: 11.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.3 apg
Last Ladder: No. 6
Draft pick: No. 1
Resigned to getting rookie treatment from refs, the lanky wing has been practicing his drives through contact vs. padded blocking guards. “I don’t expect any calls,” he said.
7. Isaiah Collier, Utah Jazz
Season stats: 7 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 6.0 apg
Last Ladder: No. 9
Draft pick: No. 29
There’s excitement in Salt Lake City over the rookies lately, between Kyle Filipowski and Collier. The burly guard is a top candidate for Rookie of the Month out West at 11.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 9.3 apg and 30.8 mpg in February.
8. Bub Carrington, Washington Wizards
Season stats: 9.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.9 apg
Last Ladder: No. 7
Draft pick: No. 14
Delivered a clunker vs. the Nets after a seven-game stretch of 14.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg and 5.1 apg. “One of the things he does really well is help us get organized,” coach Brian Keefe says. “Now he is making great reads.”
9. Alex Sarr, Washington Wizards
Season stats: 11.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.6 bpg
Last Ladder: No. 8
Draft pick: No. 2
He scored 22 vs. Bucks on Friday, but he’s back to managing an ankle injury. He’s played just twice since Jan. 27.
10. Donovan Clingan, Portland Trail Blazers
Season stats: 5.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.6 bpg
Last Ladder: Not ranked
Draft pick: No. 7
Consistency is the next step. He averaged 19 ppg, 13.5 rpg in 2 games heading into break, 7.0 and 8.0 in 3 since.
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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
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