Feb 21, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) drives to the basket against Detroit Pistons forward Simone Fontecchio (19) during the first half at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

While the 2024-25 rookie class wasn’t projected to have any high-level prospects, it has still produced an impressive collection of talent. As the season comes to a close, one former lottery pick managed to etch his name alongside one key member of the Detroit Pistons.

After helping lead UConn to a national championship, Stephon Castle went on to be selected No. 4 overall by the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Draft. His rookie campaign got off to a bit of a slow start, but the two-way guard has managed to come into his own in the last few months.

With Victory Wembanyama being sidelined due to injury, more opportunities opened up for the rest of the players on the Spurs. This allowed Castle to take on a larger role, also resulting in a slight uptick in production. Through 77 games this year, he is averaging 14.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 3.9 APG.

As he continues to add to his Rookie of the Year case, Castle worked his way into an exclusive stat group of high-level guards. The Spurs standout is one of the last four rookie guards to record at least 1,000 points, 250 rebounds, 250 assists, and 70 steals in their first year in the league. The others being Luka Doncic, Trae Young, and Pistons star Cade Cunningham.

Last four rookie guards with a 1,000/250/250/70 season: Luka Trae Cade Stephon Castle

Good company. pic.twitter.com/1HQwklNrGP

— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 6, 2025

Seeing that these are some of the top talents at the point guard position today, the Spurs should be pleased with how Castle’s rookie campaign has unfolded. Along with emerging as a favorite to take home ROY, he is on a trajectory to be a core piece for San Antonio alongside Wembanama and De’Aaron Fox.