Spurs duo Victor Wembanyama and rookie Stephon Castle have a new nickname for their respective jersey numbers and Wemby's other nickname, "The Alien."

Stephon Castle is starting to look like the real deal for the San Antonio Spurs, and his name is officially entering the Rookie of the Year conversation. While Jared McCain remains the favorite (-165), Castle’s recent surge has his odds improving to +600, and it’s easy to see why.

After 19 games with the Spurs, Stephon Castle has emerged as one of the top rookies and is among the leaders in several statistical categories.

With Stephon Castle surging for the San Antonio Spurs, a way-too-early look at the NBA's Rookie of the Year race

S an Antonio Spurs rookie guard Stephon Castle has been on a tear over his last few games, recording his highest assist total of the season against the LA Lakers on Nov. 27 with s

Stephon Castle and the San Antonio Spurs began a two-game road swing with a matchup against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

Castle learned the slow step after tutelage from Mike Noyes, the Spurs assistant who is the team’s player development coach. Noyes, like Castle, was a former UConn guard and joined the Spurs in July after spending six years with the Memphis Grizzlies, most recently as player development director.

Stephon Castle was drafted as a defensive stopper, and his recent matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder helped solidify his status as a high-end defender.

Wembanyama and Castle have since been dubbed the “Area 51” for their locked-down defense, which has propelled the Spurs to a resurgence this season. The number came from Castle’s jersey number of 5 and Wembanyama’s jersey number of 1, creating a witty nickname for two impressive defenders.