Emeka Okafor is the only player from the UConn men’s basketball program to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award, accomplishing the feat with the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2004-05 season.
Stephon Castle and Donovan Clingan are behind in the betting odds due to slow starts in October. However, November has shown how they are set to impact the NBA as stars for the years ahead.
Stephon Castle (9.9 ppg, 3.5 apg, 2.6 rpg, 38.2 FG%, 27.8 3P%, 69 FT%)
In October, Castle saw an average of 20.8 minutes on the floor and has served as a combo guard for the San Antonio Spurs. He averaged 5.6 points and shot 30.3% from the floor. Those were not the numbers the Spurs were expecting from their No. 4 overall pick.
November showed Castle’s potential in the NBA. He averages 12 points per game and has seen his minutes average increase by 6.7. He has only failed to score in double figures twice this month and has scored at least 10 points in the last seven games, including the first two 20+ point performances of his career. It’s clear he is more comfortable in his role, shooting 40.8% from the field and attempting 2.2 more 3-pointers per game.
There have also been games where Castle is showing his potential running at point guard, dishing eight assists in the Spurs’ 110-104 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Castle had a clutch block against Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 20.3 seconds remaining in that game. He was shooting 6.6 shots on average in October. In November, that average increased to 10.3.
Despite losing 120-115 to the Los Angeles Lakers, Castle had a 22-point, five-assist performance that impressed LeBron James. James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, said that Castle should “keep going” and that “he’s going to be special.”
According to StatMuse, Castle is seventh in scoring out of the rookies this season. StatMuse also says that he is second among NBA rookies in assists, trailing only Washington Wizards guard Carlton “Bub” Carrington. Castle also has the fourth-highest plus/minus out of NBA rookies at +82, trailing Lakers wing Dalton Knecht, Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells and center Zach Edey. The only players to make more shots than Castle this year are Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain, Edey and Knecht.
Donovan Clingan (5.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 0.2 apg, 2.1 bpg, 55.2 FG%, 83.3 FT%)
Clingan was the No. 7 pick in the NBA Draft, being drafted to the Portland Trail Blazers to back up former Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton, who is currently day-to-day with a finger injury.
Like Castle, Clingan did not show himself as an NBA Rookie of the Year candidate in October, averaging 4.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game on 62.5% shooting. Clingan was averaging just 12.6 minutes in his first five regular-season games in the NBA.
Clingan showed that he’s getting more comfortable at the next level in November, averaging 6.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. He has found himself in the starting lineup (thanks to Ayton’s absence) and has taken advantage of the opportunity.
In a 122-108 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Clingan nearly had the season’s first triple-double to include 10 blocks. He finished with 17 points, 12 rebounds and eight blocks. He would have joined Victor Wembanyama (Feb. 12, 2024), David Robinson (three times), Ralph Sampson (Dec. 9, 1983) and Mark Eaton (Feb. 5, 1983) as the only rookies to accomplish the feat. That is great company, as Wembanyama looks to be the future face of the NBA and Eaton is one of the best defensive players of the 1980s. Along with that, Robinson and Sampson are in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
In November, Clingan is currently shooting 52.4% from the field, down from his shooting percentage in October, but has shot the ball 1.5 more on average. Clingan is tied for third in blocks in the NBA (with Atlanta Hawks forward Alexandre Sarr, also a rookie), trailing Wembanyama and Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez. According to StatMuse, Clingan is third among rookies in rebounds per game, only trailing Edey and New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi, who are tied for the lead with 6.9.
Their chances to win Rookie of the Year
As mentioned above, they are slim, but both are trending in the right direction. According to FOX Sports, McCain is the betting favorite at +125. Risacher, Carrington, Knecht and Edey are in front of the two in odds. Castle is tied with Wells for the sixth-best odds at +2000, while Clingan is right behind with the eighth-best odds at +3500.
The next game for Castle and Clingan
If you have NBA League Pass, you can watch every game where these two are in action. However, that is expensive and not everyone will be able to pay the price. The Spurs will not be on national television for a while. Their next nationally televised game will be Dec. 23, visiting the 76ers on NBA TV. It will be a while for Clingan to be viewed in front of a national audience. They host the Utah Jazz on Dec. 26 on NBA TV.