By Marilyn Dubinski | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2025-04-11 23:40:53
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
与许多年度最佳新秀相比，卡斯尔的数据并不突出，但他展现出了太多的潜力，不容忽视。
尽管老鹰队的球迷可能不太愿意听到，但斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)几乎已经锁定了本赛季的年度最佳新秀。在2024年选秀大会上，由于缺乏明显优于其他球员的候选人，年度最佳新秀的竞争显得异常开放，而卡斯尔已经成功地从众多竞争者中脱颖而出。
即使状元秀扎卡里·里萨谢(Zaccharie Risacher)在赛季末表现火热，卡斯尔仍然凭借自己近几个月来的出色发挥，成功地抵挡住了他的追赶。在3月份场均贡献19.5分、4.4个篮板和4.8次助攻之后，他在4月份更上一层楼，数据提升至19.2分、7.2个篮板和7.3次助攻，并且在上周两次险些获得三双。作为参考，卢卡·东契奇(Luka Doncic)是唯一一位在4月份场均至少得到18分、8个篮板和7次助攻的新秀。他还与东契奇、詹姆斯·哈登(James Harden)和扬尼斯·阿德托昆博(Giannis Antetokounmpo)一起，成为近15场比赛中，总得分至少达到300分、95次助攻和85个篮板的仅有的几位球员。
所有这些可能看起来只是小样本的数据，但对于卡斯尔来说，至少在年度最佳新秀的竞争中，它们至关重要。这也表明，他是一位能够在季后赛临近时提升状态的球员：这正是马刺队未来所需要的，一旦这些三月/四月的比赛再次变得重要起来，而这应该在下个赛季就能实现。
然而，如果你不喜欢小样本数据，这里有一个更广泛的视角。本赛季，卡斯尔的总得分超过1000分，篮板超过250个，助攻超过250次，抢断超过70次，他再次加入了精英行列，东契奇、特雷·杨(Trae Young)和凯德·坎宁安(Cade Cunningham)是过去三位完成这些数据的后卫新秀。这三位都是全明星球员（并且可以肯定的是，坎宁安很快也会像东契奇和杨一样，多次入选全明星）。
近四位单赛季达成1000分/250篮板/250助攻/70抢断的后卫新秀：
卢卡
特雷
凯德
斯蒂芬·卡斯尔
堪称精英行列。pic.twitter.com/1HQwklNrGP— StatMuse (@ statmuse) 2025年4月6日
由于马刺队本赛季只剩下两场比赛，因此可以肯定卡斯尔场均14.6分、3.6个篮板和4次助攻的总体数据将大致保持不变。尽管有些人会认为，这远非年度最佳新秀中最令人印象深刻的数据，并且卡斯尔的投篮还需要大量的提升（这两点都是事实），但《The Ringer》的扎克·洛维(Zach Lowe)和柯克·戈德斯贝里(Kirk Goldsberry)最近讨论说，对于卡斯尔来说，重要的不仅仅是数据或扣篮，而是那些无形资产。
@ ZachLowe_NBA 和 @ kirkgoldsberry 都认为斯蒂芬·卡斯尔的未来一片光明。pic.twitter.com/Qg3grlK8RB
— The Ringer (@ ringer) 2025年4月10日
卡斯尔有时可能看起来像是那种安静、以身作则的类型，类似于蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)和科怀·伦纳德(Kawhi Leonard)，但正如戈德斯贝里所提到的，他实际上在马刺队的更衣室里拥有发言权和影响力。在周三战胜勇士队的比赛后，克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)欣然承认，他告诉米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)让场上的那组球员打完比赛，并告诉卡斯尔出去带领他们走向胜利，而他也确实做到了。
马刺队现在有望连续获得两届年度最佳新秀，而以卡斯尔和维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)为核心的年轻阵容也日益令人期待。希望下个赛季每个人都能保持健康，再加上达龙·福克斯(De’Aaron Fox)的加入，这支年轻的球队最终能够将一切融合在一起，打进季后赛，结束他们长达7年的季后赛荒。由于独行侠、灰熊、太阳甚至掘金等球队都存在诸多不确定性，西部联盟突然变得适合后来居上，因此，除非再次发生像本赛季这样的健康危机，否则马刺队将没有任何借口可找。
点击查看原文：Why Stephon Castle’s rookie season has been even better than you think
Why Stephon Castle’s rookie season has been even better than you think
Castle’s stats don’t jump off the page compared to many ROY’s, but he has shown too much potential to ignore.
As much as Hawks fans may not want to hear it, Stephon Castle is all but a lock for Rookie of the Year at this point. In a field where it seemed like it was almost anyone’s to grab because the 2024 draft class lacked any players who were a clear cut above the rest, Castle has managed to separate himself from the pack.
Even with top overall pick Zaccharie Risacher getting hot towards the end of the season, Castle has managed to stave off his advances by having a stellar months last couple of months himself. After averaging 19.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists in March, he has managed to go to yet another level in April with 19.2/7.2/7.3 splits while just barely missing on two straight triple-doubles last week. For reference Luka Doncic is the only rookie to ever average at least 18/8/7 in the month of April. He also joins Doncic, James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo as the only players who have totaled at least 300 points, 95 assists and 85 rebounds in the last 15 games.
All of this may seem like small sample size stuff, but it has certainly mattered for Castle, at least as far as the Rookie of the Year race is concerned. It’s also a sign that he is a player who can turn things up as the playoffs approach: something the Spurs will need in the future once these March/April games start mattering again, which should be as soon as next season.
However, if you don’t like small sample sizes, here is a broader view. Having surpassed 1000 points, 250 rebounds, 250 assists and 70 steals for the season, he once again joins elite company with Doncic, Trae Young, and Cade Cunningham being the last three rookie guards to accomplish those numbers. All three are All-Stars (and it’s safe to assume Cunningham will soon join Doncic and Young as multi-time All-Stars).
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
With just two games left in the season for the Spurs, it’s safe to assume Castle’s overall averages of 14.6/3.6/4 will stay roughly the same. While some will argue it is far from the most impressive stat line for a ROY and that Castle’s shooting needs a lot of work (both of which are true), Zach Lowe and Kirk Goldsberry of The Ringer recently discussed it’s not just about the stats or dunks with Castle: it’s the intangibles.
Both @ ZachLowe_NBA and @ kirkgoldsberry see great things ahead for Stephon Castle pic.twitter.com/Qg3grlK8RB
— The Ringer (@ ringer) April 10, 2025
Castle may sometimes appear to be of the quiet, lead-by-example ilk, similar to Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard, but as Goldsberry mentioned, he does in fact have voice and presence in the Spurs’ locker room. After Wednesday’s win over Warriors, Chris Paul readily admitted he told Mitch Johnson to let the group that was out there close the game and told Castle to go out there and help lead them to victory, which he did.
The Spurs are now looking at having two straight Rookies of the Year, and a young core featuring Castle and Victor Wembanyama is looking even more promising by the day. Hopefully everyone stays healthy next season, and along with the addition of De’Aaron Fox, this young team finally puts everything together and makes the playoffs to end their 7-year drought. The West is suddenly ripe for rising the ranks with so much uncertainty for teams like the Mavs, Grizzlies, Suns and possibly even the Nuggets, so barring another health disaster like this season, the Spurs will have zero excuses going forward.
By Marilyn Dubinski, via Pounding The Rock
