NBA Rookie of the Year: Jaylen Wells, Stephon Castle setting up for showdown
NBA Rookie of the Year: Jaylen Wells, Stephon Castle setting up for showdown
Show Caption
Hide Caption
The biggest questions for the 2nd half of the NBA season
The For The Hoops crew poses their most pressing questions for the rest of the NBA season, including whether the Celtics will be back in the Finals!
The race for NBA Rookie of the Year may be coming down to two players.
While a number of first-year players have made their marks this season, the two constants have been Stephon Castle of the San Antonio Spurs — who starred in the Rising Stars Challenge during the league's All-Star weekend — and Jaylen Wells of the Memphis Grizzlies.
If Castle were to win, it would mark only the third time a team has won the award in consecutive seasons, joining the Timberwolves (2015-16 with Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns) and the Buffalo Braves (1973-74 with Bob McAdoo and Ernie DiGregorio).
Still, the race is wide open, with the No. 1 overall selection, Zaccharie Risacher, coming on recently as one of Atlanta's primary weapons.
The latest edition of the USA TODAY Sports' rookie power rankings, with stats through Monday's games:
5. Kel'el Ware, Miami Heat center
His case has been bolstered the last month-and-a-half, when he has seen an uptick in minutes and had started Miami's past 18 games before a knee injury sidelined him from Monday's game against the Wizards. Ware has infused an immediate inside presence in the Heat offense as a lob threat and low-post option. He also has been a solid rim protector, though his defensive numbers do suffer when Bam Adebayo also isn't on the floor.
OPINION: Kyrie Irving knee injury latest blow, makes Luka Doncic trade look even worse
MORE: 2025 NBA mock draft has Duke's Cooper Flagg No. 1 while other players jockey for position
4. Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies center
He can sometimes go through lulls in his scoring output, but Edey has been a steady presence for Memphis, particularly on the glass. Some of Edey's contributions don't manifest on the box score, though; in Monday's two-point loss against the Hawks, Edey altered two consecutive Trae Young drives inside the final minute before Desmond Bane's turnover in the final seconds led to Caris LeVert's game-winning layup.
3. Zaccharie Risacher, Atlanta Hawks forward
Risacher, the No.1 pick, has shown flashes of what he can become. He missed seven of eight games with a strained left adductor in the final two weeks of January and has played well since his return. In his past 14 games, the 6-8 Risacher is averaging 15.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and nearly 1.0 steal and is shooting 53.8% from the field and 50.8% on 3-pointers. On Tuesday, he was named Eastern Conference rookie of the month for February. He scored 27 points on 11-for-13 shooting in a victory against Memphis on March 3. The Hawks' offense has flourished with Risacher on the court, scoring 119.86 points per 100 possessions, and ninth-place Atlanta is in the postseason hunt with a chance to finish in seventh place in the East.
2. Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs guard
Even with the addition of De'Aaron Fox at the trade deadline, Castle continues to get valuable minutes on a rebuilding team that has gone through a difficult season with head coach Gregg Popovich's stroke and 2024 Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama's season-ending deep vein thrombosis diagnosis. Castle is the second-leading rookie scorer at 13.2 points per game and averages 3.5 assists and 3.1 rebounds. He has had two 30-point games in the past four weeks, including 32 points, eight rebounds and three assists in a loss to Oklahoma City on March 2 and 24 points, seven assists and three rebounds in a victory against Memphis on March 1. His shooting efficiency needs attention in the offseason — he's at 41.9% from the field and 28.4% on 3-pointers.
1. Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies forward
For the most part, Wells has avoided the dreaded rookie wall. A long season can exact punishment on a rookie not used to 82 games with back-to-backs, four games in a week and travel. Wells, who hasn't missed a game this season, had five consecutive games without hitting double figures in points right before the All-Star break. The break helped, and he has scored 12 or more points in six of eight games since. Well had 19 points and five rebounds in a victory against Phoenix on Feb. 25 and 18 points in a loss against San Antonio on March 1. He is fifth in scoring among rookies with 11.4 points per game, and he is shooting 45% from the field and 38% on 3-pointers. Wells, the No. 39 overall pick, is trying to become just the second second-round draft pick in the modern era (post-1970) to win rookie of the year, and he's doing it for a team that is in fourth place in the Western Conference.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
"It gets so bad I have to turn around and stare at Scottie" - Phil Jackson recalls how Scottie Pippen abused Jerry Krause over his contract
"It gets so bad I have to turn around and stare at Scottie" - Phil Jackson recalls how Scottie Pippen abused Jerry Krause over his contract originally appeared on Basketball Network. Shortly after the Chicago Bulls' historic last dance, head coach Phil Jackson reflected on the numerous challenges the team encountered during that tumultuous period. One was Scottie Pippen's public threat to leave the Bulls if his contract situation did not improve. Advertisement Jackson remembered how Pippen consistently directed his frustrations at the Bulls' general manager, Jerry Krause, seizing every opportunity to voice his discontent. But one confrontation stood out. "Scottie, who is still on injured reserve, tells some reporters he wants to be traded, that he's not going to play for the Bulls ever again," Jackson shared via ESPN. "I figure he's just feeling his oats, momentarily ticked off about his horrible contract that pays him less than probably a hundred players in the league. But on the bus ride from the airport to the hotel, he tears into Krause from the back." "Usually, Michael is the one who showers Krause with ridicule. But now Scottie is giving serious abuse. 'Hey, Jerry,' he yells. 'You going to sign me to a contract or trade me?' It gets so bad I have to turn around and stare at Scottie," he added. Phil couldn't tell if Scottie was serious about leaving Throughout his illustrious coaching career, Jackson maintained a composed demeanor, even in the most intense moments. His ability to keep his emotions in check set him apart from other coaches, who often resorted to yelling and showing frustration. Advertisement Still, even Jackson found himself perplexed with the Pippen situation, particularly by the unusual behavior of his star small forward. It also didn't help that at that time, the Bulls were facing their own struggles on the court, and the legendary coach openly confessed to experiencing stress, an emotion he typically managed with ease. "The next day at practice, Scottie runs well, but he doesn't have much gas," Jackson continued. "And as he talks to the press afterward, he says that after all he had done for the team, he can't stand being treated with so little respect, and he can't see himself ever wearing a Bulls uniform again." "But that night on the bench, he is dressed to the nines in a gray pinstripe suit and boxed-toe shoes, and he cheers wildly, especially for Kukoc, who is taking his place. Still, we lose our fourth close game of the season, and I don't know what is going on. In the past, we were always the ones who won the close ones. My sleep is suffering," he concluded. Related: Charles Barkley says "The Last Dance" increased his reverence for Michael Jordan: "Some of those fouls, you would get suspended multiple games today" Scottie's last dance in Chicago Despite the turmoil surrounding his contract situation, Pippen continued to play for the Bulls during the 1997-98 season. Although Chicago may have been willing to offer him a more lucrative contract or even if Jordan had chosen to remain with the team, Pip was firm in his decision that this would be his final season with the franchise. Advertisement He was looking for an organization that would treat him with respect and value his contributions and impact. "Even before Michael announced his retirement, I knew that I was taking a different route than returning to Chicago," the seven-time All-Star said in an interview with NBC's Hannah Storm in 1999. "I wouldn't have returned. Over time, you know, I still feel like there is some type of relationship there between me and the Bulls, but to have been there would have been very difficult for me." "He pretty much knew it. You know, we talked a tremendous amount of time throughout the season, and we sort of had that vibe, that feeling after the season, that it was pretty much our last time together," the legendary forward added. "It was a little bit emotional at that time, but I knew that was it." Pippen's post-Bulls run Going into the last season of the Bulls dynasty, Krause was already sure about breaking up the team and starting the rebuilding process. Keeping an aging veteran like Pippen was not part of his plans. Advertisement The following season, Pippen found a new home with the Houston Rockets. He was optimistic about their trio with Charles Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon but they failed to win a championship. He then joined the Portland Trail Blazers and was appointed the team leader. However, that squad also failed to win a title. Related: "There are only two players who could possibly do the things he does" Phil Jackson names the only players who were as good as Scottie Pippen This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Washington Post
43 minutes ago
- Washington Post
In big moments, Tyrese Haliburton's unpredictability is a weapon
OKLAHOMA CITY — Tyrese Haliburton hasn't just powered the Indiana Pacers to their first NBA Finals appearance in 25 years. He has inspired a gold rush with his clutch shooting. By the time the Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder returned to Paycom Center for practice Saturday, two days after Haliburton stole Game 1 with a last-second jumper, the NBA's online store was already hawking autographed photographs of the iconic shot for $199.99. Devoted fans could pair that piece of NBA Finals history with a similar item capturing Haliburton's game-tying jumper against the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, which checked in at the same price. Thanks to the wonders of capitalism, Haliburton's backbreaking daggers can break the bank, too.
New York Times
44 minutes ago
- New York Times
For SGA and Andrew Nembhard, NBA Finals isn't about ‘making friends' — or keeping them
OKLAHOMA CITY — The zen of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander felt authentic as he revisited the squandering of his Thunder's NBA Finals debut. A missed opportunity punctuated by the easy money he left on the table with his final shot. But SGA had some 38 hours to sit with it, filter it through his processor. He emerged for interviews Saturday with his on-brand serenity and ready to give answers. Calmly and clearly. Advertisement 'Yeah, they are easy to put away now,' he said after Oklahoma City's practice at Paycom Center. 'There was a time in my career where it wasn't, and you grow and learn through that. I've just grown to learn, like, you control what you can control. I shot the ball, I missed it. It's written in history. There's nothing I can do now. That is a missed shot, and all I can do is try to be better the next shot. That's what I focus on. That's my mindset. At this point, it's like second nature.' Yet another second nature of Gilgeous-Alexander also exists. It is just as on-brand as his macro perspective. A nature that embraces friction of competition. A nature that heightens focus to course correct after losses or subpar games. A nature that absolutely hated getting cooked in crunchtime of the NBA Finals by his lil bro. SGA didn't put away that part. Andrew Nembhard defended the NBA MVP with his chest out and laced his countryman with a 'tween-cross-'tween-cross into a stepback 3. A clutch basket worthy of a Filayyy recap on Instagram. 'Yeah, he's a competitor,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'He's a winner. Plays the game the right way on both ends of the floor. Really good player. Yeah, he's a winner for sure. No doubt.' Nope. Not falling for the banana in the tailpipe. The overwhelming expectation for Game 2 is a Gilgeous-Alexander retort. Not that he played poorly. But he needed 30 shots to get 38 points and missed the potential game-clincher that opened the door for Tyrese Haliburton's heroics in Game 1. That alone is perhaps enough to provoke the NBA MVP to raise his level. Be more efficient. More clutch. And Nembhard is extra motivation. Because no one knows better than SGA how relentless a competitor Nembhard is, and how much better his game is when his confidence is peaking. And during the Pacers' late rally, Nembhard walked with the sway of the coldest villain. Minutes before he put Gilgeous-Alexander in a mixer, Nembhard aggressively bodied his Canadian National Team cohort. On the way to the ref, to dispute the foul, Nembhard walked through the shoulder of SGA, uninterested in avoiding contact. SGA replied with a light shove, pushing the Pacers guard off him. Then, with SGA at the free-throw line, Nembhard walked conspicuously close, dishing another glancing nudge as he walked past. Advertisement 'Nothing more than two guys wanting to win,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'No malicious intent behind it, just wanting to win.' The similar paths of these two young men make for a heart-warming tale of storge love. Gilgeous-Alexander grew up in Hamilton, Ontario. Nembhard was raised in Vaughan, about 45 minutes away. They developed their games well enough to finish high school in the United States. Both played for major programs in college — SGA one year at Kentucky and Nembhard two years at Florida before two years at Gonzaga. Both won a bronze medal for Canada together. Both are making their first NBA Finals simultaneously. They've pushed each other to get here. 'I'm not too worried about making friends out there,' Nembhard said Saturday. 'So whatever happens, happens in that sense.' The storge love is on hold. Because Nembhard is coming. 'This is the ultimate challenge, a guy like him who is the MVP,' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said of SGA. 'He's just so skilled, so quick, bigger than you think. Everybody talks about the lethal midrange, but he makes 3s easily, too. He lives at the free-throw line. So there's no breaks. There's no breaks. But Drew is one of these guys that he has an equal focus on the defensive end as the offensive end, and that's — it's a bit rare with today's players.' This is how Nembhard is wired. He wants to win, and he'll go through anybody in pursuit. Even his boy. Especially his boy. His friendship with SGA only makes him more qualified to be a nemesis. Nembhard, 18 months younger, has been chasing SGA for the better part of a decade. When they were coming up, SGA was the prodigy, the touted talent expected to make it. They first teamed up with Canada's Junior Academy. SGA was top-ranked, and Nembhard wasn't all. His name didn't join the likes of Gilgeous-Alexander and RJ Barrett. Advertisement Nembhard is here because of the chip on his shoulder. He establishes his name by taking on giants. He was a rookie when he went into Steph Curry's house and showed up the legend. In last year's first-round series in Milwaukee, Nembhard stood up to Bobby Portis, who once broke his teammate's jaw. Nembhard issued the first shove. Now he's got the MVP and the big, bad Thunder in his sights. He loves this. He's too smart to say it out loud. But his swagger on the court, the look in his eyes when he talks, his reputation, it betrays an unbothered approach. 'I'm not really too worried about the individual battle,' Nembhard said. 'I'm not focusing on it. It's a team job to stop him. And we know that. … There's a name on every team in this league. … Third-string guys in the NBA can give you 25 on any night if you're relaxed and not being ready to play.' Yeah. OK, Drew. Just another foe. Got it. Gilgeous-Alexander knows better. Because he knows well. He understands as much as anybody who he's dealing with in this series. He'll require the poise of a champion to maintain the calming perspective he shared, to not make this about getting his lick back or devolve into some one-on-one battle. He's too good to bite on the bait. Indiana is varying the coverages on him. The Pacers appear to be conceding outside shots, prompting Gilgeous-Alexander to drive into the set defense. They've also picked him up out high on the pick-and-roll, giving space for the defense to recover after the screen. Indiana is not yet taking the ball out of his hands with aggressive traps and blitzes. Though a box-and-1 isn't above Carlisle, the results from Game 1 seemed to justify the Pacers' approach. High-volume Gilgeous-Alexander seems to limit his teammates' rhythm. But down the stretch, when the game was close, the Pacers were more than fine throwing Nembhard on SGA and letting him handle it. Nembhard is fine with it, too. Advertisement And we know Gilgeous-Alexander. We've seen enough. His second nature is also to embrace the competition. He inhales the smoke, as they say. He just talks trash with minimal words and maybe a cryptic social media post. He just declares his supremacy through brilliance and a tangible, if unspoken, bravado. And so far in these playoffs, defeats have prompted a response from SGA. In the Thunder's first loss of the postseason, Game 1 in the second round against the Denver Nuggets, he had 33 points on 26 shots. In Game 2, he had 34 points on 11-for-13 shooting. He had 18 in the Game 3 loss to Denver and 25 in the Game 4 win. He followed his 32 in the Game 6 loss with 35 in Game 7. Against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference finals, SGA was 4-for-13 in a blowout loss in Game 3. But in Game 4, he dropped 40. Now, he's on the biggest stage of his life, coming off a loss that reverberated around the globe. His team is facing a relative must-win game. And his brother from another, who's driven to prove himself, took Round 1. 'I always try to be aggressive and I never, like, predetermine it,' SGA said. 'I always, like, just let the game tell me what to do. So I guess last game, I felt more often than not, I had a shot or a play that I could attack on more than in the past, and that's just the way it went. So the same thing will happen in Game 2. I will read the defense, and I will play off my feeling and my instincts, and if it's calling for me to shoot or if it's calling me to pass, is what I will decide to do.' Round 2 on deck. (Photo of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Andrew Nembhard: Matthew Stockman / Getty Images)
