Spurs youngsters Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper earned coveted spots in the NBA Rising Stars Game, and their ascent fuels the team's Western Conference surge.
The NBA All-Star Weekend kicks off on February 13th and is quickly approaching, which means that the lineups for all of the games and events will be announced over the coming weeks.
The Rising Stars Challenge is the first event that takes place after the Celebrity Game, and the players who have been selected for this event have been announced.
The event consists of rookies, sophomores, and G-League players, and two of them have been absolutely vital in the San Antonio Spurs' ascent to second place in the Western Conference standings.
Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle were both chosen to participate, as they have been two of the brightest young stars in the league since they were both selected.
The Spurs took former UConn Husky Castle with the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and he has been a fantastic addition to their young core alongside franchise player Victor Wembanyama.
Castle is averaging 16 points, seven assists, and five rebounds on just under 45% shooting from the field. He is still struggling to find consistency from 3, but he has still been able to contribute mightily without.
So when he finally figures it out, the NBA needs to watch out.
As for Harper, the Spurs selected him with the second pick in this past draft just behind Cooper Flagg. Being picked right after one of the most highly touted prospects ever means he has been overlooked a bit, but he is putting together a very solid rookie season.
He is averaging 10 points per game on just under 44% shooting from the field, and he has done all of that off the bench. After trading for De'Aaron Fox this past season, the Spurs have a surplus of guards.
But whenever Harper gets his time to step into the starting lineup and be in the spotlight, fans can be assured that he will be ready.
After being 13th in the Western Conference last season, San Antonio is currently tied with the Denver Nuggets for second. A lot of that can be attributed to the solid play from the team's budding stars, and they will be looking to put on a show at All-Star Weekend.