ROTY favorite Stephon Castle makes his feelings clear on chemistry with De'Aaron Fox for Spurs' playoff push

Fresh off his busy NBA All-Star Weekend debut, San Antonio Spurs rookie standout Stephon Castle discussed his squad's rest-of-season outlook. The 2025 Rookie of the Year favorite also weighed in on his burgeoning chemistry with his newly acquired co-star, De'Aaron Fox.

Castle distinguished himself over the weekend, winning MVP of Friday's Rising Stars Challenge and finishing as the runner-up in Saturday's Slam Dunk Contest. The versatile two-way guard capped off his ascension by competing with Candace's Rising Stars in Sunday's All-Star Game mini-tournament semifinal.

On Monday, Castle spoke with Andscape's Marc J. Spears about the experience and what to expect over the final third of San Antonio's season. Castle, who leads the ROTY betting odds (+130) at the All-Star break, expressed gratitude to be in a favorable standing midway through his rookie campaign.

"If you would've told me a year ago I'd be in this position, I probably wouldn't believe you," Castle said. "But I feel I just became accustomed to all the work I put in and my faith in God. And I thank God for all these opportunities. It's just a blessing."

Castle was later asked how he plans to "coexist" with Fox, whom the Spurs acquired from the Sacramento Kings in a three-team deal on Feb. 3. The 2024 No. 4 draft pick underscored his seamless transition through five games playing alongside the star point guard.

"That's my guy. Me and him connected right away as soon as he came here. I love playing with D-Fox," Castle said. "He plays super-fast. That is how I like to play. Super unselfish. He can go get a bucket whenever you need him to. Yeah, he's super cool and a great guy off the court, too."

San Antonio (23-29) has gone just 2-3 across its first five contests with Fox. Nevertheless, the one-time All-Star is expected to boost the young squad's playoff chances, serving as a bona fide co-star next to star center Victor Wembanyama.

Castle's continued development off the bench could also go a long way toward the 12th-placed Spurs gaining ground in the deep Western Conference.

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Stephon Castle on Spurs' next step following De'Aaron Fox acquisition

During Monday's interview, Stephon Castle touched on the Spurs' next step with De'Aaron Fox in the mix. According to the rookie, his squad plans to utilize the remainder of its time off to fine-tune its game plan.

"We're using the break to reflect on the good and the bad that we did before the All-Star break and to fix a couple of things up before we try to make a push," Castle said.

Castle and Co. resume play on Thursday when they host the West's 11th-placed Phoenix Suns (26-28) in a contest with potential seeding implications.

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