Former UConn Huskies Star Ranks No. 2 On Latest NBA 'Rookie Ladder'
Former UConn Huskies guard Stephon Castle has a legitimate chance to win NBA Rookie of the Year.
Right now, the only stronger candidate for the award is Jared McCain of the Philadelphia 76ers, according to the NBA’s latest “Rookie Ladder”, a ranking of rookies published weekly to the league’s official X account.
The latest rankings have Castle at No. 2 behind McCain, as a post on Wednesday revealed.
“Stephon Castle's big week inches him closer to Jared McCain in the race,” the post said.
Castle’s San Antonio Spurs played four games last week, and Castle averaged 16.3 points, 4.5 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in those games with a true shooting percentage of 50.8.
Castle is now averaging 12.1 points, 3.8 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game through 24 games played for San Antonio.
McCain is averaging 15.8 points, 2.6 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game through 22 games, and the No. 3 player on the Rookie Ladder, Jaylen Wells of the Memphis Grizzlies, is averaging 11.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists through 25 games played.
McCain’s 22.2 points per 36 minutes is impressive — his offensive heroics have made him the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year.
But Castle’s defense and playmaking — and the fact that he plays for a potential playoff team — could help him edge McCain down the line if their numbers are comparable. Watch out for Wells, too.
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-6cddf44b9a81eadb9d1a4c19c1b3db49.jpeg "Colin Keane")
Colin Keane is a contributing journalist for "UConn Huskies On SI." Born in Illinois, Colin grew up in Massachusetts as the third of four brothers. For his high school education, Colin attended St. Mark's School (Southborough, MA), where he played basketball and soccer and served as student body president. He went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Villanova University. Colin currently resides in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "UConn Huskies On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org