Stephon Castle's entrance into NBA's rookie rankings is just the beginning

At this point, everyone is on the same page on Stephon Castle's place on the Spurs. He was the perfect pick in the draft. He's fit in seamlessly, earning starter minutes when there were plenty of other choices the coaching staff could have gone with. Rookies sometimes struggle to get on the floor and stay there, but Castle finds himself in the game in crucial spots—and he deserves it.

The poise the UConn star displays on a nightly basis is uncanny. It's led to stellar play on the floor that you wouldn't expect from a player so young. He dropped 23 points against Utah on 16 shots but came out in the next game and pulled back, only taking 11 shots. He doesn't just go out there chucking up the ball. He plays within the flow of the team, and that's intentional

His hard work has led to an acknowledgment from the NBA.

Castle was placed on the NBA Rookie Ladder for the first time this season

There have only been two rookie rankings so far this season, and Castle missed the cut the first week. He was placed at the 10th spot in this week's list, showing that the NBA experts are taking notice of Steph's ability.

When you look at the list, one thing stands out: nobody has taken the league by storm yet. Jaylen Wells of the Memphis Grizzlies is sitting at number one with an average of 11.4 points per game, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists—last week, he was third. Jared McCain is fifth, when last week, he wasn't ranked at all either.

Castle is one of four rookies who made the list in this week's rankings after missing out last week. It's not a coincidence. There's been talk around the league for over a week about the lack of production from the recent rookie class.

The difference between most of the rookies who are disappointing the observers and Stephon Castle is he wasn't starting from the beginning like most of the others. He's only recently received that nod since Jeremy Sochan went down, so it's no twist of fate that he was put on the ladder as soon as he got more time on the floor.

Castle has been impressing everyone, from the fans to his teammates. Wembanyama recently told reporters that Castle came to him after a few preseason games and told him the pro game was "slowing down for him." Wemby was shocked, joking that it had taken him 50 games to get used to the NBA as a rookie.

If you watch Steph play, none of this surprises you. He doesn't get too high or low when he makes a play or messes one up. He's a steady force, and you always know what you're going to get out of him: heady plays, great defense, and consistent effort. That's all you can ask for.