Stephon Castle will likely win 2024-25 Rookie of the Year, but not unanimously thanks to one voter.
SAN ANTONIO — It is widely agreed upon that San Antonio Spurs rookie sensation Stephon Castle will be named the NBA’s 2024-25 Rookie of the Year.
Castle led all rookies in several statistical categories: Points scored (1,070), steals (69), and field goals made and attempted. He also ended his rookie campaign, averaging 14.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game.
He twice won the NBA Rookie of the Month Award and exploded in March, posting 20.6 points per game on 49% shooting.
With stats like that, there should be no doubt that he’ll be the unanimous Rookie of the Year Award winner, right?
Well, think again.
According to NBA award tracker Max Croes (@croesfire on X), several media members have confirmed their vote for the Rookie of the Year. While Castle dominates the early voting, one voter did not cast their vote for the young Spurs guard.
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps has voted for Atlanta’s Zaccharie Risacher to win the award, making Castle’s chance of being named the unanimous Rookie of the Year.
Risacher did not have an overall solid season as Castle did.
He averaged 15 points per game on 53.8% shooting and 50.8% from the three-point line in 14 games in March. His regular-season averages were 11.7 points per game and 3.6 rebounds. That pales compared to Castle’s numbers and his impact on the court.
Ultimately, Castle will likely win the award, and that is all that matters in the end, no matter how the final voting looks. But he certainly should be a unanimous pick based on his stats alone compared to the rest of the rookies in contention.