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At last, a noteworthy trend has emerged.
With San Antonio’s Stephon Castle and Atlanta’s Zaccharie Risacher being recognized as the NBA’s March monthly award recipients for rookies—Castle for the Western Conference and Risacher for the Eastern Conference—it signifies their second time receiving this honor each.
Before this week’s announcement, a total of eight different rookies had captured the monthly awards. Castle (January) was accompanied in the West by Jaylen Wells, Yves Missi, and Isaiah Collier, while Risacher (February) was joined by Jared McCain, Alex Sarr, and Kel’el Ware.
Winning a monthly accolade doesn’t ensure success in the annual awards, but for voters considering their Rookie of the Year rankings on the 2025 ballot, two awards certainly hold more weight than just one.
Time is running out for a third rookie to make a significant impact.
Here are this week’s Kia Rookie Ladder standings:
• There seems to be a growing statistical case for All-Rookie consideration, with several impressive performances coming from players not even featured on the Ladder. Chicago’s Matas Buzelis is continuing to shine as a late-blooming prospect, averaging 15.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and shooting 47.6% from beyond the arc over the last week. Meanwhile, Toronto’s group of rookies—Ja’Kobe Walter, Jonathan Mogbo, Jamal Shead, and Jamison Battle—have collectively averaged 42.8 points per game over the Raptors’ last four outings, significantly exceeding their season averages of 24.7 points.
• And what about Ron Holland II? Pistons supporters will likely advocate for him, but Holland has emerged as one of the most tenacious rookies this season. He found himself in the middle of Sunday’s skirmish in Minnesota and previously had confrontations with Utah’s Jordan Clarkson in December and Golden State’s Draymond Green in January. At just 19 years old, it seems he has been guided by veteran Isaiah Stewart.
• It may be slightly unconventional to add an 11th player to the Ladder for two weeks in a row, but the difference between the 10th and 11th spots is negligible compared to the space between 11 and 12 for these rookies. However, this peculiar situation will likely resolve itself next week when the final Ladder for the 2024-25 season showcases the top 10 players representing a single voter’s All-Rookie ballot.
The final stretch is upon us. Risacher, Sarr, Ware, and Wells can still make compelling arguments for the ROY award, but Castle is the frontrunner in Vegas for valid reasons. He leads all first-year players in points, field goals made, shot attempts, free throws, and steals, along with placing third in minutes played and tying for third in assists. For another rookie on the Ladder to make a push, they will need to excel in the few games remaining.
(All statistics are as of Tuesday, April 1)
1. **Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs**
**Season stats:** 14.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.8 apg
**Last Ladder:** 1
**Draft pick:** No. 4
Castle fell just two assists short of achieving the Class of 2024’s first triple-double of the season, finishing with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists in a loss against Cleveland on Thursday. Teammate Keldon Johnson remarked, “I believe the game is already slowing down for him, and as he continues to evolve—since he works incredibly hard—he’s destined for greatness.”
2. **Zaccharie Risacher, Atlanta Hawks**
**Season stats:** 12.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.3 apg
**Last Ladder:** 2
**Draft pick:** No. 1
The 6-foot-8 forward struggled against Portland on Tuesday, but during his two months as the top rookie in the East, Risacher led his class with 55 three-pointers, achieving a commendable 41% shooting accuracy. His impressive 36-point performance in the Hawks’ rout of the Bucks on Sunday marked his highest scoring game of the season and the third time he has surpassed 30 points, more than any other rookie this year.
*First overall picks to score 35+ points and sink 5+ threes in a game as a rookie:*
— LeBron
— Iverson
— Ant
— Zaccharie Risacher.
3. **Alex Sarr, Washington Wizards**
**Season stats:** 13.0 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.6 bpg
**Last Ladder:** 3
**Draft pick:** No. 2
Sarr has experienced fluctuating shooting performance lately, with a stretch of 9-of-29 followed by 18-of-32 against the Sixers and Pacers, and then dropping to 7-of-29 in his last two games against the Nets and Heat. Nevertheless, he continues to break records, benefiting from entering the league at age 19 and celebrating a birthday on April 26.
4. **Kel’el Ware, Miami Heat**
**Season stats:** 9.0 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.1 bpg
**Last Ladder:** 4
**Draft pick:** No. 15
Five of Ware’s 12 double-doubles (tied for the most among rookies with Yves Missi) have occurred since March 15. He even outperformed Sarr in a noteworthy play, skillfully handling a rebound like a left fielder.
5. **Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies**
**Season stats:** 10.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.7 apg
**Last Ladder:** 5
**Draft pick:** No. 39
Having handled the challenge of starting for a playoff-caliber team while facing top scorers regularly, Wells now faces the task of adapting to a new coach with just a few games remaining. No rookie has been part of more victories (44), but his shooting has dipped to 31%, hitting just 25% from beyond the arc over the last 15 games.
6. **Yves Missi, New Orleans Pelicans**
**Season stats:** 9.0 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.3 bpg
**Last Ladder:** 7
**Draft pick:** No. 21
Missi has been a bright spot for New Orleans amid a challenging season, offering hope as coach Willie Green turns to him for contributions. “At the beginning of the season, he wasn’t in this role, but he continued to work hard and earned the trust of the coaching staff and his teammates,” noted Green.
7. **Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies**
**Season stats:** 9.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.3 bpg
**Last Ladder:** 6
**Draft pick:** No. 9
Zach Edey generated considerable buzz a year ago while pushing Purdue through the NCAA tournament, but now finds himself navigating the ups and downs this season in Memphis. “It’s definitely been a rollercoaster season,” Edey shared. “I’ve had to adjust to playing a different role than I did in college, playing off the ball, adapting to my teammates, and creating space rather than dominating the ball every possession.”
8. **Isaiah Collier, Utah Jazz**
**Season stats:** 8.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 6.2 apg
**Last Ladder:** 8
**Draft pick:** No. 29
Collier has emerged as the new assists leader among rookies for the Jazz (419 and counting), now on the quest for 15,388 more to surpass John Stockton’s long-standing team and NBA record.
9. **Bub Carrington, Washington Wizards**
**Season stats:** 9.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 4.2 apg
**Last Ladder:** 9
**Draft pick:** No. 14
He filled the stat sheet with eight points, eight rebounds, nine assists, and three steals over 38 minutes against Miami on Monday.
T-10. **Donovan Clingan, Portland Trail Blazers**
**Season stats:** 6.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 1.6 bpg
**Last Ladder:** T-10
**Draft pick:** No. 7
Clingan leads all rookies in blocks with 98 while playing around two-thirds the minutes of Sarr (94) or Missi (93).
T-10. **Kyle Filipowski, Utah Jazz**
**Season stats:** 9.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.9 apg
**Last Ladder:** T-10
**Draft pick:** No. 32
With Lauri Markkanen and John Collins sidelined, Filipowski has risen to the occasion, recording six of his 11 double-doubles in March.
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Steve Aschburner has covered the NBA since 1980. You can contact him via email, explore his archive, and follow him on X.
The opinions expressed on this page do not necessarily represent those of the NBA, its teams, or Warner Bros. Discovery.
