Making the playoffs may no longer be a realistic goal for the San Antonio Spurs in the aftermath of Victor Wembanyama's season-ending injury, but player development remains the number one goal for a Spurs franchise that will be gearing up for a more serious postseason push next season. On Sunday night, one of the crown jewels of the Spurs' rebuild, Stephon Castle, showed out despite their 146-132 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Castle has been relegated to a bench role ever since the Spurs completed its blockbuster trade for De'Aaron Fox, but this has not stopped him from being his most productive self. On Sunday, Castle was the Spurs' best player on both ends of the floor, finishing with 32 points, eight rebounds, and three assists on 12-21 shooting from the field — strengthening his case to win the 2025 Rookie of the Year award.

The development on the Wembanyama injury front was devastating for the Spurs, as many believed that they could push for the playoffs especially after the addition of Fox via trade. But Castle developing into a major scoring weapon, when his offense was believed to need a few years to develop, is a major boon for the Spurs.

Fans and pundits expressed their excitement for Castle's future with the Spurs, as many believe that he will become the third star the team needs to compete for a title.

“The Spurs definitely got them one in Stephon Castle,” Kendrick Perkins wrote on his official account on X, formerly Twitter.

“Wemby Fox Castle Can’t believe we got 3 all stars on our team wow,” @NotSergee added.

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“A future superstar in the making,” @fabo_0313 furthered.

“Spurs fought hard tonight vs the Thunder, despite the loss. Man, I like where the future is heading for the Spurs. Stephon Castle is SPECIAL,” @Kennyskie expressed.

Spurs' Stephon Castle is separating himself from the ROY award race

San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) dunks in the second half against the LA Clippers at Frost Bank Center.
Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

The 2024 NBA Draft class was regarded as one of the worst in recent memory. But this doesn't mean that no rookies have cemented themselves as long-term keepers for their team. In particular, Stephon Castle has been showing that he will be a long-term contributor for the Spurs — separating himself as the head and shoulders favorite to win the 2025 Rookie of the Year award.

Rookies other than the Spurs guard that could have a chance at winning the award are Memphis Grizzlies' Jaylen Wells (a starter for a playoff team) and Miami Heat's Kel'el Ware. Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr, the top two picks, also have a chance, but inconsistency and injuries, respectively, have done those two no favors.