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[San Antonio Spurs]

Stephon Castle Feels Like He Has NBA Award ‘Locked Up’

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Stephon Castle has made quite an impression on the San Antonio Spurs during his rookie year.

In fact, he has made an impression on the entire league.

Because of that, he is a frontrunner to claim Rookie of the Year for 2024-25.

Castle feels that he is far and away the favorite to win that prize, and a recent statement from him confirmed that.

“I feel like, at this point, I pretty much got it locked up,” Castle said, per Paul Garcia and NBACentral.

“I feel like, at this point, I pretty much got it locked up…”

– Stephon Castle on the rookie of the year race

(Via @PaulGarciaNBA ) pic.twitter.com/uOxZuqNJUT

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 7, 2025

Castle has earned an average of 14.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game this season, shooting 42.4 percent from the field.

He was lucky to join a team that really needed his sort of talent.

The Spurs were willing to see what Castle was capable of and have given him a lot of time on the court during his first year.

He is playing a bit more than 26 minutes per game and has started in 43 of 77 matches.

This season’s rookie class received a lot of criticism last summer after the draft, but they have shown a lot of potential during 2024-25.

Other players like Bub Carrington, Zach Edey, Rob Dillingham, Jared McCain, Dalton Knecht, and plenty more have gained a lot of attention.

But it feels like Castle is the one who will win Rookie of the Year.

If he does claim that prize, all eyes will be on what’s next for him and what he can do in his second year.

The Spurs are getting better, especially with Victor Wembanyama at the center of all their plans.

The team will get more exposure and more success in the years ahead, and Castle could be deeply involved in all they accomplish.

Winning Rookie of the Year is obviously a big deal, but Castle will have to keep it up and continue to impress.

The post Stephon Castle Feels Like He Has NBA Award ‘Locked Up’ appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/stephon-castle-feels-like-he-has-nba-award-locked-up/

 

[San Antonio Spurs]

Victor Wembanyama Still Leads An Incredible Stat This Season

(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

NBA fans didn’t get to see enough of Victor Wembanyama this year.

Sadly, due to deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, Wembanyama only played in 46 games in 2024-25.

But during that time, he did extraordinary things.

In fact, according to StatMuse, Wembanyama has still rejected the most shots this season, with 176 blocks.

He has been out of the league since February 12, but Wembanyama is still the block leader for the league.

He's been out since February 12. pic.twitter.com/IUsxI0MDEA

— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 10, 2025

This is a testament to the colossal power of Wembanyama, who is now in his second year in the NBA.

Before being sidelined, he was averaging 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks per game.

There is no doubt that he was the frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year and was helping the San Antonio Spurs turn things around and become a much stronger force in the Western Conference.

Now, fans will have to wait until next season to see more of Wembanyama’s power.

The latest reports say that he has undergone surgery and is feeling fine, so the outlook for Wembanyama is good.

This is hopefully not the beginning of a troubling trend because no one wants to see this star out of commission for long, and everyone hopes he doesn’t get hurt or suffer medical problems often.

The race for Defensive Player of the Year has opened up since Wembanyama’s departure, with many people feeling that Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors will win.

But this stat proves that everyone needs to be prepared for Wembanyama’s return because he will continue to dominate.

The post Victor Wembanyama Still Leads An Incredible Stat This Season appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/victor-wembanyama-still-leads-an-incredible-stat-this-season/

 

[San Antonio Spurs]

Victor Wembanyama Still Led League In Defensive Stat This Season

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs hasn’t played a game since February, but he is still one of the most dominant players in the league.

According to Courtside Buzz, Wembanyama still has the most blocks in 2024-25, with 176, or 3.8 per game.

But because he only played in 46 games, he is not able to hold the title of blocks leader.

Instead, that honor has gone to Brook Lopez, who has 148 blocks (1.9 per game), and Walker Kessler with 2.4.

WEMBY UNOFFICIALLY LED NBA IN BLOCKS: Victor Wembanyama STILL led the NBA in blocks with 176 (3.8 BPG) despite playing in just 46 games!

But, because Wemby played in so few games, he did not qualify to be the official NBA leader.

Who led the NBA in 2024-25, officially?… pic.twitter.com/Mvh1QXrE1n

— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) April 13, 2025

This leads to an important question: will Wembanyama be Defensive Player of the Year next season and the years beyond?

If he had stayed healthy this year and reached the 65-game threshold, Wembanyama most certainly would have been DPOY.

Even before the season began, it felt like the league was aching to give him that trophy.

Wembanyama wasn’t able to play as much as he wanted, but the prognosis about him seems good, and he should be back and ready to play at the start of 2025-26.

Wembanyama’s defensive game has been great since entering the league.

In fact, all of his skills have gotten better, and Wembanyama has improved on both ends of the court.

For the season, he averaged 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals, and 3.8 blocks.

The league is filled with talented big men who can lock down opponents with their suffocating defense, but Wembanyama is even more special than most because he is so young, so incredible, and only getting better.

Wembanyama and the Spurs missed out on the playoffs this year, but they are hoping that when he is back and healthy next season, things will look very different.

The post Victor Wembanyama Still Led League In Defensive Stat This Season appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/victor-wembanyama-still-led-league-in-defensive-stat-this-season/

 

[San Antonio Spurs]

Jeremy Sochan Raves About Chris Paul’s Notable Milestone

(Photo by Kevin Sousa/Getty Images)

He may appear in the playoffs this year, but Chris Paul of the San Antonio Spurs just pulled off something remarkable.

Paul appeared in all 82 games this regular season, averaging 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 7.7 assists.

At 39 years old, he is clearly still dedicated to the game and his team, and Spurs star Jeremy Sochan definitely noticed.

Speaking with Tom Orsborn, Sochan opened up about Paul’s amazing track record this year.

“He could be in flipping, I don’t know, Hawaii, doing nothing. And he’s here in San Antonio, Texas, busting his a– 82 f—–g games, just doing his thing. And I think that’s what I’ve noticed, just the passion that he has,” Sochan said, per Legion Hoops.

Jeremy Sochan on Chris Paul playing in his 82nd game of the season today:

“He could be in flipping, I don’t know, Hawaii, doing nothing. And he’s here in San Antonio, Texas, busting his a** 82 f***ing games, just doing his thing. And I think that’s what I’ve noticed, just the… pic.twitter.com/QrCnxKLVZj

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 14, 2025

Playing this much at any age is impressive, but doing it at 39 is incredible.

Even when it became apparent that the Spurs wouldn’t be reaching the playoffs, Paul was still ready to suit up every single night and give it his all.

Since coming to San Antonio at the start of the season, Paul has taken on a mentor role for many of the younger stars on the team, including Sochan.

He wants to inspire and lead them, and he’s the perfect man for that job.

No one is entirely sure what is next for Paul.

He has said that he wants to keep playing as long as he stays healthy, and he desires to remain in San Antonio.

He obviously has a lot of fight left in him and doesn’t want to play less even as he grows older.

Will he be with the Spurs next year, and will he come close to playing 82 games again?

He definitely isn’t slowing down.

The post Jeremy Sochan Raves About Chris Paul’s Notable Milestone appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/jeremy-sochan-raves-about-chris-pauls-notable-milestone/

 

[San Antonio Spurs]

Gregg Popovich Recently Had Another Concerning Health Incident

(Photo by Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images)

The NBA was unfortunately without Gregg Popovich for the vast majority of the 2024-25 season.

After coaching just five games, Popovich suffered a mild stroke and took the rest of the season off.

Sadly, Popovich just had a medical setback on his road to recovery.

According to TMZ, per NBACentral, Popovich was taken to the hospital on Tuesday night after fainting at a restaurant.

He was transported out on a stretcher, sought medical care, and is now stable and recovering at home.

Gregg Popovich was taken to the hospital Tuesday night after fainting at a San Antonio restaurant, per @TMZ

TMZ reports he was stretchered out and may still be feeling effects from a mild stroke suffered in November.

Prayers for Pop

pic.twitter.com/dVkL6ZBdbp

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 18, 2025

All of this raises many questions about what is next for Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs.

In Popovich’s absence, assistant coach Mitch Johnson led the team.

Popovich has visited the Spurs since his stroke and saw them after the All-Star break, but it’s not clear what will happen next year.

Reports said that Popovich was making progress, and the Spurs said they would let him decide what he wants to do.

There was hope that he’d be healthy enough to return to coaching next season, but this latest incident cast doubt on that idea.

It goes without saying that Popovich is one of the most respected and important coaches of all time.

He has been with the Spurs since the 1996-97 season and has led them to five championships.

If Popovich cannot come back to the Spurs because of his health, the team will be at a major turning point as they attempt to foster young talent like Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle.

The Spurs want Popovich back, but above all else, they want him healthy.

They hope he can recover and return to the team soon.

The post Gregg Popovich Recently Had Another Concerning Health Incident appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/gregg-popovich-recently-had-another-concerning-health-incident/

 

[San Antonio Spurs]

Stephon Castle Reacts To Winning Rookie Of The Year Award

(Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

The future looks very bright for the San Antonio Spurs, and they received another massive honor on Tuesday.

The league announced that Stephon Castle was named Rookie of the Year.

That means the Spurs have the last two ROTY winners, which is a promise that things are only getting better in San Antonio.

Speaking with ESPN, Castle talked about his confidence and how that made all this success possible.

“I’ve always been super confident as a player,” Castle told ESPN. “So, I felt like there was no doubt in my mind that I would eventually get to this point, especially with all the work that I put in. I felt like it was just inevitable to happen. I feel like [confidence is] what really got me to this point, and not holding myself back from anything.”

Castle was chosen as the fourth overall pick in the 2024 draft and ended the season with an average of 14.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists on 42.8 percent from the field.

He led all rookies in total points, made field goals, and steals, and started in 47 of his 80 games.

The Spurs have now become the fifth team in league history and just the second in the last 50 years to have back-to-back Rookie of the Year winners.

As all fans remember, Victor Wembanyama was given that honor last year and is considered one of the best young players of his generation.

The Spurs are building something special in San Antonio.

They might be out of playoff contention right now, but there is every reason to believe they will be postseason contenders in the next few years, especially with Wembanyama and Castle running things.

Castle believes in himself and what he is capable of.

He wants to make his team proud and hopes to start a brand new era of postseason greatness for San Antonio.

The post Stephon Castle Reacts To Winning Rookie Of The Year Award appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/stephon-castle-reacts-to-winning-rookie-of-the-year-award/

 

[San Antonio Spurs]

Steve Kerr Believes 2 Coaches Transformed The NBA

(Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

Today, Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors is one of the most accomplished and respected coaches in the NBA.

But there was a time when he was just a player, looking to be guided and led.

On Friday, Kerr spoke about the men who shaped him and how the entire league has been influenced by two NBA giants.

He said that the newly retired Gregg Popovich and Phil Jackson “transformed” coaching in multiple years over the last 20 years.

“I think [Gregg Popovich] transformed coaching over the last 20 years,” Kerr explained to NBC Sports. “I think it went from one era to the next with several coaches leading the way. I think Phil Jackson and Pop, and I know I’m biased for both of them, but each of them in their own way transformed the coaching profession into more than just X’s and O’s authoritarian figure to culture and collaboration and the unique chemistry great teams have. Those two guys, in my mind, helped create the current culture we’re in.

Kerr was lucky enough to play for both Popovich and Jackson during his 15-year career as an NBA player.

He also happened to win a championship with both of them.

They were two forces of nature who gained a lot of attention, not just for how they handled their players and the press, but for how they changed the ways people viewed the game of basketball.

To many, Popovich and Jackson are just as important as the players they coached.

Popovich announced on Friday that he was retiring from coaching, but he won’t stray far from the San Antonio Spurs.

No matter what happens, his influence will still be felt in Kerr, Ime Udoka, and the many other coaches who were influenced by him.

It’s not every day that a non-player transforms the league, but that is exactly what Popovich and Jackson did, and their legacies will remain.

The post Steve Kerr Believes 2 Coaches Transformed The NBA appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/steve-kerr-believes-2-coaches-transformed-the-nba/

 

[San Antonio Spurs]

Victor Wembanyama Sends Message To Gregg Popovich After Leaving HC Duties

(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

On Friday, Gregg Popovich announced that he was officially stepping down as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs after 29 years.

29 years is a very long time, and Popovich quite literally changed the game during that period.

His team’s biggest star, Victor Wembanyama, took to social media to celebrate the NBA icon.

“Coach, thank you for your wisdom, for your leadership, for the culture you created… But most importantly for being a great and inspiring person,” Wembanyama wrote on X, before adding that it was an honor to be part of his legacy.

29 years.

Coach, thank you for your wisdom, for your leadership, for the culture you created…

But most importantly for being a great and inspiring person.

It was an honor to be a part of those 29 years

Wishing you the best on your new chapter.

— Wemby (@wemby) May 2, 2025

Throughout his many years in the league, Popovich coached some of the best stars in NBA history, such as David Robinson, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and more.

All of them will miss what Popovich brought to the league and the ways he changed them and transformed how people valued players, coaches, and teams.

Popovich was supposed to take Wembanyama to new heights, and there were hopes he’d oversee another run to the Finals with his Spurs.

But his health problems got in the way, and now Popovich is stepping away for good.

However, he will still be involved with the team and will surely be rooting for them.

That means that Wembanyama’s relationship with Popovich will continue, even if he isn’t being coached by him.

Popovich will now take on the role of President of Basketball Operations, meaning he will work closely with the team’s front office and will still dictate some front office decisions.

Even though he is no longer coaching, Popovich is not leaving the organization.

That’s a good thing because people cannot envision a Spurs team without him.

The post Victor Wembanyama Sends Message To Gregg Popovich After Leaving HC Duties appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/victor-...ge-to-gregg-popovich-after-leaving-hc-duties/