Spurs awful January gets offset by awesome Stephon Castle announcement

That's why he was never leaving.

Milwaukee Bucks v San Antonio Spurs
Milwaukee Bucks v San Antonio Spurs | Ronald Cortes/GettyImages

There wasn't much to celebrate during the month of January for San Antonio fans. The team went 4-8 after gaslighting everyone into believing they were ready for the rough path ahead. The Spurs started the month by defeating the Denver Nuggets by three points. They immediately followed it up with an 11-point loss to those same Nuggets, and the woes began from there.

But the one good thing that came from an otherwise desolate stretch of basketball was Stephon Castle's play. Due to the unfortunate injury Jeremy Sochan suffered in the December 31 Clippers game (why does he keep getting hurt against the Clippers?), the rookie was thrust back into the starting lineup.

The Spurs may not have won games in January, but you could hardly lay the blame at the feet of this NCAA champion. He was often the second-best player in San Antonio's lineup, and the NBA recognized his play.

Stephon Castle continues to be a Spurs bright spot

Stephon Castle's numbers don't truly do him the justice he deserves. There is a reason the Kings were so adamant about including him in the deal for De'Aaron Fox. To their dismay, the Spurs aren't blind, so they said no and, as the kids say, "stood on business." It isn't quite trading Luka Doncic, but the fan base likely would have erupted if you gave this kid up.

The Spurs got blasted in the fourth quarter by the Grizzlies last night, but Castle, again, stood out, scoring 21 points and adding six rebounds and five assists to his box score. He shot 40% from three, having another good night from deep. He's been on a hot streak over the last three games, shooting 46.7%.

Unfortunately, the Spurs are 1-2 in those games, but that's not something you put on a rookie, and the NBA understands that. It's why Castle is a strong candidate to win Rookie of the Year, giving the Spurs two winners of the prestigious award in a rowβ€”a seldom-seen feat.

On another note, it's a little funny to see Castle win this Rookie of the Month award despite not being number one on the NBA Rookie Ladder for the vast majority of the month. He reclaimed that spot in the most recent update on January 29, but Alex Sarr held the number one spot for three out of four weeks.

It reinforces the idea that how you finish matters much more than how you start. The Spurs, as a whole, can take something from that. They've had a rocky year with so much inconsistency in the lineup and Coach Pop's health scare, but let's hope once De'Aaron Fox arrives, they can gain enough stability to finish the season strong.

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