Spurs
Rookie guard Stephon Castle said winning the Rookie of the Year award is “locked in the history books,” but it does not affect his day-to-day focus. “Then you have to go make your career after that,” he told Andscape’s Marc J. Spears. “I’m just trying to improve every year.”
With De’Aaron Fox sidelined, Castle has taken over primary ball-handling duties for San Antonio. Through eight games he is averaging 18.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.6 assists while routinely matching up with the opponent’s top scorer. “He can impact winning whether he is on the ball, off the ball, defensively,” coach Mitch Johnson said. “He has an opportunity to affect the game as much as anybody.”
Lakers
Injuries have shortened Los Angeles’ rotation, and rookie guard Bronny James is capitalizing. He logged 18 and 19 minutes in consecutive victories over Miami and Portland, finishing both contests on the floor. “I’m ready to take advantage of the times that I get when our guys are out,” James said. “I’m going to stay aggressive.”
Head coach JJ Redick credited James’ quicker decision-making. He wants players to commit within half a second—shoot, pass or drive—and said James now displays “a great point-five mentality. He’s catch-and-shoot ready at all times.”
Kings
Guard Keon Ellis, who finished last season second on the Kings in three-point percentage (43 percent) and ranked second league-wide in deflections, anticipated a larger role. Instead, he has topped 20 minutes only three times in the first nine games. “If I go out there, I do what I do. If I don’t, it is what it is. I control what I can control,” Ellis said to The Sacramento Bee.
The offseason arrivals of Dennis Schröder and Russell Westbrook have tightened Sacramento’s backcourt rotation, and the pending return of Keegan Murray will add to the congestion. “It’s a numbers game,” assistant coach Doug Christie said. “Night to night, it could be different. Keon’s a pro so I know he’ll be ready and prepared.”
Source: Hoops Wire
