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.

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.

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.

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.