The San Antonio Spurs are teetering on the brink of being a lottery team and a play-in team, and they have one player who can get them back to the playoffs, and it isn't Victor Wembanyama. Rookie Stephon Castle has improved leaps and bounds since making his debut back in October and is now clearly the third-best player on the Spurs after Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox.
His dramatically improved play has the potential to change the Spurs' trajectory. They already have two stars in Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox, with Wembanyama having the potential to become the best player in the NBA. However, after landing Fox, there was a question about whether they could add a third star. After Castle's recent play, it seems more and more possible that he could be that third star.
In San Antonio's recent game against the Washington Wizards, Castle scored 20 points off the bench in just 20 minutes. This followed a 33-point outburst against the Charlotte Hornets in which he looked like the best player on the floor for either team that game.
Nevertheless, he has been in and out of the starting lineup, and after Fox's debut, he has been coming off the bench. Fox is currently better than Castle, but it's become increasingly clear that Fox and Castle should start together instead of Fox and Chris Paul.
Paul has been solid this season, but Castle gives the Spurs more upside, especially as he's improved as a 3-point shooter, drilling 40.4% of his threes over 12 games and averaging 17.3 points over the last 16 games. Even so, Spurs interim coach Mitch Johnson has yet to make the move to insert Castle into the starting five, and it's hurting the Spurs.
Stephon Castle is looking like the San Antonio Spurs' third star.
Castle gives the Spurs a different look from Paul, with him being a relentless driver who can consistently get into the paint and collapse defenses. His terrific athleticism and craftiness, including a nasty hesitation euro step to throw off the timing of the defender in front of him, along with his newfound shooting ability, make him an offensive threat inside and out.
He is also a burgeoning playmaker for others and a talented defender. Paul still has the playmaking chops but is often too passive as a scorer to be considered a threat. Defensively, he can get his hands on steals but isn't the same player he once was, all of which necessitates a change in the starting five.
Having Castle paired with Fox would give the Spurs not one but two slashers who can put pressure on the rim and generate high-percentage shots at the rim. That should draw attention away from shooters and get them more open looks.
It should also help Wembanyama by getting him more open threes. He can also trail in the pick-and-roll or stand near the dunker's spot and receive dump-off passes for easy dunks. Or, he can crash the offensive glass with his defender forced to slide over to contest a Fox or Castle drive.
Castle has a chance to get even better over the summer when most young players can improve their games. If he is able to play at a few levels higher than he has over the last 15 or so games, then the Spurs could already have their big three in place.