By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-04-20 18:03:13
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。
圣安东尼奥马刺队的后卫斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)(5)在2025年3月14日星期五于圣安东尼奥Frost Bank中心举行的一场NBA比赛中，在夏洛特黄蜂队的后卫乔什·格林(Josh Green)(10)的防守下试图进攻。
马刺队距离连续第二年产生NBA年度最佳新秀又近了一步。
联盟周日宣布，斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)是该奖项的三位最终候选人之一。另外两位是亚特兰大的扎卡里·里萨谢和孟菲斯的杰伦·威尔斯。
卡斯尔在选秀大会上以第四顺位被选中，这位身高6尺6寸的球员以场均14.7分领跑NBA新秀得分榜。
他被认为是今年威尔特·张伯伦奖杯的最有力竞争者，如果他能获奖，将追随队友维克托·文班亚马的脚步，文班亚马去年全票当选。
卡斯尔在结束他的NBA首个赛季时，对自己获得年度最佳新秀的机会充满信心。
“我觉得在这一点上，我基本上已经锁定它了，”卡斯尔本月早些时候说。“一场又一场的比赛，我觉得我更有信心说我就是（年度最佳新秀）。”
年度最佳新秀和其他年度NBA奖项的投票上周已经结束，由一个由100多名报道联盟的媒体成员组成的评审团选出。结果将在整个季后赛期间零星公布。
联盟历史上只有四支球队曾连续获得年度最佳新秀。最近的是明尼苏达森林狼队，分别在2015年(安德鲁·威金斯)和2016年(卡尔-安东尼·唐斯)。
虽然被认为是今年的热门人选，但20岁的卡斯尔不太可能像一年前的文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)那样轻松赢得这个奖项。
他在全明星赛后巩固了自己的优势，在最后30场比赛中，他的场均得分提高到17.8分，其中包括18场首发。卡斯尔做到这一点的同时，还经常承担一些最艰难的外线防守任务。
对于马刺队的代理教练米奇·约翰逊来说，卡斯尔在扮演多种角色时的多功能性在本赛季的新秀中最为突出。卡斯尔在他的第一个职业赛季中，不断地在首发和替补之间切换，在有球和无球状态下都能发挥作用。
卡斯尔两次被评为NBA西部月度最佳新秀。约翰逊认为他现在应该获得比这更负盛名的荣誉。
“我不认为有人被要求承担如此多样的角色和责任，以及他处理这些事情的方式，”约翰逊说。“他能够获得足够的成就，多次被评为月度最佳新秀，这说明了很多问题。”
但这并不是说卡斯尔在本赛季的年度最佳新秀争夺中没有强大的竞争对手。
扎卡里·里萨谢和杰伦·威尔斯(Jaylen Wells)都可能获得一些第一名的选票。
里萨谢是去年六月选秀大会的状元，他的目标是成为连续第二位来自法国的年度最佳新秀。
这位身高6尺8寸的前锋在他的第一个NBA赛季中，平均得到12.6分和3.6个篮板，与卡斯尔一样，他在全明星赛后提高了这些平均数据。
与此同时，威尔斯是一个令人感觉良好的、璞玉成器的成功故事。
威尔斯在华盛顿州立大学被选中，是次轮秀，并成为了孟菲斯灰熊队意想不到的首发球员。
这位身高6尺7寸的威尔斯在本赛季为灰熊队的防守做出了切实的贡献，同时也确立了自己作为一名可靠射手的地位。他平均得到10.6分，并与华盛顿的布布·卡林顿并列成为新秀中投进最多三分球的球员，共投进138个。
威尔斯的赛季在4月11日提前结束，当时他在对阵夏洛特黄蜂队的比赛中，试图扣篮时不幸摔倒，导致右手腕骨折。
他力求成为自2017年密尔沃基雄鹿队的马尔科姆·布罗格登以来，第一位在第二轮被选中并获得年度最佳新秀荣誉的球员。
在尊重非马刺队候选人的前提下，去年的年度最佳新秀正在为卡斯尔加油。
文班亚马比大多数人都更明白赢得这个奖项对卡斯尔来说有多么特别。
“我对年度最佳新秀的第一印象是，你只有一次机会赢得它，”文班亚马说。“在那之后就结束了。所以这是一个非常重要的里程碑。我真的为斯蒂芬感到骄傲，为他所做的事情，他在联盟中的学习以及他的成长，使他能够把自己置于这个位置。”
点击查看原文：Spurs' Castle named Rookie of the Year finalist
Spurs’ Castle named Rookie of the Year finalist
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) looks to make a play while being guarded by Charlotte Hornets guard Josh Green (10) during an NBA game at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, on Friday, March 14, 2025.
The Spurs have moved one step closer to producing a second consecutive NBA Rookie of the Year winner.
Stephon Castle was one of three finalists for the award, the league announced Sunday. The others are Zaccharie Risacher of Atlanta and Jaylen Wells of Memphis.
Drafted fourth overall out of Connecticut, the 6-foot-6 Castle led the NBA rookie class in scoring at 14.7 points per game.
He is considered the frontrunner to take home this year’s Wilt Chamberlain Trophy, which would follow in the footsteps of teammate Victor Wembanyama, who won it unanimously last season.
Castle ended his inaugural turn through the NBA feeling confident in his Rookie of the Year chances.
“I feel like at this point, I pretty much got it locked up,” Castle said earlier this month. “Game by game, I feel like I’m more confident to be able to say that I am (the Rookie of the Year).”
Voting closed last week for the Rookie of the Year and other annual NBA awards, which are chosen by a panel of more than 100 media members who cover the league. The results are to be announced sporadically throughout the playoffs.
Only four teams in league history have boasted Rookie of the Year winners in consecutive seasons. The most recent were the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2015 (Andrew Wiggins) and 2016 (Karl-Anthony Towns).
Though considered the this year’s favorite, the 20-year-old Castle is unlikely to run away with the award to the degree Wembanyama did a year ago.
He solidified his push after the All-Star break, increasing his scoring average to 17.8 points over the final 30 games, including 18 starts. Castle accomplished that while consistently drawing some of the toughest defensive assignments on the perimeter.
For Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson, Castle’s versatility while filling a plethora of roles stands out the most amongst this season’s rookie crop. Castle spent his first professional season toggling between starting and coming off the bench, playing on the ball and off the ball.
Castle was twice named the NBA’s Western Conference Rookie of the Month. Johnson believes he now deserves an honor even more prestigious than that.
“I don’t know that there’s anybody who has been asked to do the variety of roles and responsibilities, and the way he’s handled it,” Johnson said. “His being able to achieve enough to be honored as the rookie of the month more than once says a lot.”
That is not to say Castle does not have worthy competition in this season’s Rookie of the Year chase.
Risacher and Wells are both likely to receive some number of first-place votes.
The No. 1 pick in last June’s draft, Risacher is aiming to become the second straight Rookie of the Year winner to hail from France.
The 6-foot-8 forward finished his first NBA go-round averaging 12.6 points and 3.6 rebounds, averages that – like Castle – he inflated after the All-Star break.
Wells, meanwhile, is a feel-good, diamond-in-the-rough success story.
Selected in the second round out of Washington State, Wells emerged as an unexpected starter for Memphis.
The 6-foot-7 Wells made a certifiable mark for the Grizzlies on defense his season, but also established himself as a reliable shooter. He averaged 10.6 points and tied Washington’s Bub Carrington for most 3-pointers made by a rookie with 138.
Wells’ season ended prematurely April 11, when he suffered a broken right wrist after taking a frightening fall on a dunk attempt in a game against Charlotte.
He is seeking to become the first player drafted in the second round to earn Rookie of the Year accolades since Milwaukee’s Malcolm Brogdon in 2017.
With all due respect to the non-Spurs candidates, last year’s Rookie of the Year is rooting for Castle.
Wembanyama, more than most, understands how special a win would be for Castle.
“The first thing I think about with the Rookie of the Year is, you got one chance to win it,” Wembanyama said. “After that it’s over. So it’s a big, big milestone. I’m really proud of Steph, for what he’s done and his education in the league and his growth to put himself in this position.”
By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News