Stephon Castle fires warning shot with ruthless Rookie of the Year run

Congratulations to Stephon Castle for winning Rookie of the Year for his debut with the San Antonio Spurs. We knew it was coming, but now it is official, and the former Husky gets to take home hardware for the second season in a row following the National Championship he won at UConn. Castle has established himself as a winner, and he's continuing that trend in the 210.

10 months ago, Steph was selected number four overall by the Silver and Black. His draft report said that he was one of the most pro-ready prospects in the class. It didn't say that Castle had a dog-like mentality that would lead to ferocious play on the basketball court.

One half of Area 51, the Georgia-native, attacked the rim with a viciousness you only see from villains in a movie as he routinely flew through the air like a superhero. He put so many players on posters that fans could have made a scrapbook. That doesn't even take into account his impressive court-vision, defense, or the clutch-shotmaking he displayed. The Spurs got a good one.

Castle's Rookie of the Year win is just the beginning

This young man has a very bright future. It's all in front of him. He's in a great position, coming up alongside the next great NBA legend, you can see coming from a mile away, both due to his skillset and his ridiculous length. Victor Wembanyama will finish his career as a first-ballot Hall of Famer if he realizes his potential, and there's no reason to believe he won't do so.

Castle came in and made a statement, though. He's not here along for the ride; he's here to forge his own name, and he'll have every opportunity in the world to show who he is in the biggest moments playing next to Vic. They'll elevate each other because the "iron sharpens iron" idiom is correct, and both players have laser focus set on the ultimate team goal.

Steph averaged 15 points, four rebounds, four assists, and one steal this season. He led all rookies in points and steals, and he was third in assists; he was also first in free throws attempted and made. Castle was the MVP of the Rising Stars Challenge and won Rookie of the Month twice during the season.

The Slam Dunk Contest runner-up played fearless basketball all year long. He received Rookie of the Year for his efforts. The San Antonio Spurs are now the second team to have two ROY winners in back-to-back seasons since the NBA merger in 1976. David Robinson, Tim Duncan, and Victor Wembanyama were the other Spurs players to win this prestigious award.

The other team was Minnesota (2015-2016), but they didn't have Area 51. San Antonio does. It's like giving Batman superpowers. It's a wrap for everyone else after that.