Tag: Stephon Castle

Here are the participants in the 2025 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, including Stephon Castle and Mac McClung

What do you think of the lineup so far?

During the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend festivities in San Francisco, the NBA Slam Dunk Contest will feature some young talent in the league.

Among the headliners reported so far include Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs), Matas Buzelis (Chicago Bulls), and Andre Jackson Jr. (Milwaukee Bucks).

Mac McClung — the two-time Slam Dunk Contest champion — will also be back to defend his title.

Castle and Buzelis were both recent lottery picks in the 2024 NBA Draft.

During his one-and-done season in the NCAA last season, Castle won a national championship at UConn. Jackson, who will compete against Jackson in the dunk contest, also won a national title at UConn. But the two were not teammates as Jackson turned pro a season prior.

Castle (25) has recorded more dunks than Buzelis (18) and Jackson (11) so far this season, per Stathead.

McClung is currently with Orlando’s G League affiliate, the Osceola Magic, where is he averaging 24 points per game.

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How much of a shot does San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle have at winning Rookie of the Year?

Can the Georgia native do enough to put himself in the mix to win Rookie of the Year this coming season?

How much of a shot does San Antonio Spurs rookie combo guard Stephon Castle have at winning the NBA’s 2025 Rookie of the Year award? There were certainly times at the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer Leagues where the former University of Connecticut alum looked like the best player on the floor.

But that does not necessarily mean that Castle will have the same shine when he faces the level of competition that exists at the NBA level. Can the Georgia native do enough to put himself in the mix to win Rookie of the Year this coming season?

Or are there other incoming players who might be better-positioned to steal it from him?

The folks behind the “TSR Sports” YouTube channel put together a way-too-early look at the NBA’s race for the 2025 Rookie of the year award. Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say about Castle’s odds in it.

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Rockets’ Reed Sheppard selected to win Rookie of the Year by executives in ESPN poll

Rockets guard Reed Sheppard was voted the top choice to win Rookie of the Year by executives and scouts in a poll conducted by ESPN.

Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard was voted the top choice to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award by a panel of executives and scouts in a poll conducted by ESPN.

The 20 individuals polled were asked a number of questions about the incoming rookie class, such as the best player and the biggest steal of the draft. They were also asked about the draft expanding to a two-day format, which received a positive reaction.

Sheppard received seven votes from the panel, while Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey garnered four votes and San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle had three votes.

Who’s your NBA Rookie of the Year pick?

  1. Reed Sheppard, Rockets: 7 votes
  2. Zach Edey, Grizzlies: 4
  3. Stephon Castle, Spurs: 3
  4. Donovan Clingan, Trail Blazers: 2
  5. Zaccharie Risacher, Hawks: 1
  6. Ron Holland II, Pistons: 1
  7. Dalton Knecht, Lakers: 1
  8. Tristan da Silva, Orlando Magic: 1

Sheppard debuted with the Rockets in the NBA Summer League, averaging 20 points, 5.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.3 blocked shots on 50% shooting from the field in four games. He was named to the NBA All-Summer League first team and finished ninth in scoring.

The third pick is second in odds to win Rookie of the Year, narrowly trailing only Risacher. He looked to be one of the top rookies on the court in the desert and proved himself as a high draft pick in a small sample size with the Rockets.

The odds will certainly continue to fluctuate over the course of the upcoming season, which tips off on Oct. 25. However, Sheppard and the rest of the players on the list established themselves as the top players thus far and should be in store for strong rookie campaigns.

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Which past San Antonio Spurs alumni does Stephon Castle look like on the basketball court?

As he suits up for iconic Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich with greater frequency, such a comparison may begin to come into focus.

Which past San Antonio Spurs alumni does Stephon Castle look like on the basketball court? The champion University of Connecticut combo guard alum has hardly gotten his feet wet at the NBA level with the Spurs before visions of future greatness for San Antonio began to fill the heads of fans.

But if we were to look back on the history of the Spurs, what sort of template player can we find to help us shape our expectations for how the former Husky will fin into San Antonio’s system of play? As he suits up for iconic Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich with greater frequency, such a comparison may begin to come into focus.

The host of the “Locked On Spurs” podcast, Jeff Garcia, recently took some time to talk it over with guest Michael Jimenez of the “Alamo City Sportscast” pod.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say.

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San Antonio Spurs rookie Stephon Castle on playing with Chris Paul

“I feel like (Cp3 is) one of the best point guards to ever play in the NBA,” said Castle.

To say that rookie San Antonio Spurs combo guard Stephon Castle is excited to play with new veteran Spurs floor general Chris Paul may be something of an understatement. The champion University of Connecticut alum recently shared some of his thoughts about playing with his new teammate (and iconic head coach Gregg Popovich, for that matter) in an interview with Uproxx’ Robby Kalland.

“I feel like (Cp3 is) one of the best point guards to ever play in the NBA. So, to be able to learn from him, year one, it’s going to be super fun, for sure,” said Castle.

“And to be able to play alongside him, I feel like he’s a legend, so to play alongside Chris Paul and have Coach Pop with me is definitely something I’m looking forward to.”

“But just being able to pick up on things like screen navigation, like when to snake a screen, the right passes to make and stuff, I feel like he’s the best at doing that,” he added.

“So, trying to pick up on a lot of that stuff in the year that we’ll have him.”

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Spurs’ held interest in rising Indiana Pacers guard

The San Antonio Spurs reportedly held interest in acquiring Andrew Nembhard from the Indiana Pacers.

The San Antonio Spurs signed Chris Paul to a one-year $11 million deal. The veteran point guard is known for his ability to help elevate young talent and is also a connsumate professional. His presence on the Spurs roster will undoubtedly help the development of both Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle in the upcoming season.

However, before they added Paul to their roster this summer, the Spurs reportedly held an interest in acquiring Andrew Nembhard from the Indiana Pacers. Nembhard enjoyed a strong 2023-24 season, especially in the playoffs, where he averaged 14.9 points, 5.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds.

Nembhard recently signed a three-year $59 million extension with the Pacers. However, according to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer, San Antonio could move for the impressive guard in the future.

“The Spurs will be one team to monitor for Nembhard moving forward, after San Antonio registered trade interest in Nembhard this offseason,” Fischer reported. “Before San Antonio brought Chris Paul to organize the Spurs’ offense around Victor Wembanyama, sources said San Antonio called various teams around the league exploring veteran guards who have still yet to enter their primes.”

Due to Paul’s short-term deal with the Spurs and the franchise still lacking their point guard of the future, there’s still a chance that Nembhard will emerge as a target in the coming years. Of course, that may depend on how Castle develops as a playmaker and whether he shows upsides as a lead guard or two guard.

For now, though, Paul will be leading the Spurs offense, and that will undoubtedly help the franchise expedite the development of its young stars.

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San Antonio Spurs’ Stephon Castle on how coach Gregg Popovich has boosted his game

Popovich has evidently already taken a shine to the Georgia native’s game.

Former champion University of Connecticut combo guard Stephon Castle has not long been with the ball club that drafted him at No. 4 overall in the 2024 NBA draft. But legendary San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has evidently already taken a shine to the Georgia native’s game.

And after seeing what he can do for the Spurs in the California Classic and Los Vegas Summer Leagues, it is not hard to see why that is the case. “With the talks that I’ve had with him already, he seems to speak very highly of me. I have a lot of respect for him,” said Castle via Uproxx’ Robby Kalland.

“He just wants me to come out here and play with confidence,” he added. “So, I’ve been doing that, and for a coach like that to tell me that, it instills a lot of confidence in me too.”

“Just to be able to play for him in my rookie year and learn from a coach like that super early on is super exciting for what my future will look like,” said Castle.

And for those of us waiting to see him in live NBA action, that future can’t come soon enough.

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Will San Antonio Spurs rookie combo guard Stephon Castle start?

Not everyone thinks he will be the primary starter this season, even if he does get a lot of spot starts.

Will San Antonio Spurs rookie combo guard Stephon Castle start for his new ball club to begin the team’s 2024-25 campaign? The former University of Connecticut standout guard made us see that such a thing should at least be on the table for the Spurs to consider on opening night and early in the season. But not everyone thinks he will be the primary starter this season, even if he does get a lot of spot starts.

Bleacher Report draft expert Jonathan Wasserman writes that adding Harrison Barnes to the team via trade “presumably pushes Devin Vassell to shooting guard and forces Stephon Castle to come off the bench.”

“The No. 4 pick is still poised to play a significant rookie role, given his importance to San Antonio’s rebuild and the versatility he possesses to play different roles and positions, which will maximize his chances to play.”

“The purpose of signing Chris Paul was to make the game easier for Victor Wembanyama,” he adds. “However, at 39 years old, he’s bound to miss games and see reduced minutes.”

“Castle should have opportunities to experiment running offense and facilitating, which are big selling points to the 6’6″, 215-pound guard who’s played the point and operated in ball-screen situations since high school.”

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San Antonio Spurs Stephon Castle projected in top-5 2025 Rookie of the Year race

His size and length will make him a menace defensively.

Evidently, fourth place is former University of Connecticut standout guard Stephon Castle’s spot until he can prove otherwise. The San Antonio Spurs took the Georgia native fourth overall in the 2024 NBA draft, and now he is projected to be the fourth-most likely rookie to take home the NBA’s 2024 Rookie of the Year award.

That projection was put together by Bleacher Report NBA draft expert Jonathan Wasserman, so it should be taken seriously. Per Wasserman, “Castle showed the different ways he can impact games without needing shooting range” in summer league, and “his change of pace, physicality and passing instincts will continue to work for driving, finishing after contact and playmaking.”

His size and length will make him a menace defensively, and he “has a great feel for keeping defenders off balance and moving them with his power before using touch shots in the lane or vision to set up teammates” on the other end of the court.

“Even with the arrival of Chris Paul and likelihood that Devin Vassell and Harrison Barnes both start, Castle should still be looking at plenty of minutes,” he adds. “He could be used as a secondary creator with the starters, a backup point guard for the second unit, or a big-wing defender at the 3.”

“A shaky jump shot may make it tough to consistently score in volume, but Castle should find other ways to reach double figures while adding supporting assist and rebounding numbers.”

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Is San Antonio Spurs rookie guard Stephon Castle the steal of the 2024 NBA draft?

The former UConn standout very well might.

Is San Antonio Spurs rookie combo guard Stephon Castle the steal of the 2024 NBA draft? If you ask Bleacher Report league analyst Mo Dakhil his opinion on the matter, he will counter with a question of his own about the University of Connecticut alum. “Can a No. 4 pick in the draft be considered a steal?” asked the B/R analyst in a recent survey of some of the more interesting prospects from this year’s 2024 NBA Las Vegas Summer League.

And the B/R writer had an answer to his question ready, as well. “If it is Stephon Castle landing with the San Antonio Spurs, it is,” suggests Dakhil. “Castle’s summer league was cut short due to injury, but he flashed enough in his one game in Vegas and two at the California Classic to make me believe he might be the best player from this draft in a few seasons.”

“In the limited games Castle did play, he showed his ability to make the correct passing reads off pick-and-rolls, get into the lane easily and be a solid defender,” he adds.

“Through three games, he averaged 4.0 assists to go with his 17.3 points,’ notes Dakhil. “His jumper could be better, but if that improves over the next few seasons, he will be a perfect running mate for Victor Wembanyama.”

“In addition to the skills Castle already possesses, Chris Paul will give him expert teaching on the point guard position. Keep an eye on Castle; in three seasons, we might ask why he didn’t go first in the draft.”

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