How Stephon Castle Could Enhance the San Antonio Spurs, and Vice Versa

A championship-winning guard in his first collegiate season and fitting the mold of a hard-nosed, defensively motivated Spur, Stephon Castle could fit superbly in a Popovich-led system.

Connecticut Huskies guard Stephon Castle (5) cuts the basketball net after winning the Men's NCAA national championship game against the Purdue Boilermakers at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on April 8, 2024. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY

Stephon Castle has a chance to be a special player hailing in this class -- but a lot of the type of player he'll be could be determined by the team he so happens to fall to.

“I feel my true position his point guard, and I feel the last few months I had to sacrifice for the betterment of the team,” Castle said to reporters at the NBA Draft Combine through mid-May. "Now, we’re talking about my career, and that’s something I take pride in. Now, I really want to play the one.

"So, that’s just something to think about.”

And denying individual workouts with teams that already have an established floor general, Castle is trying to leverage and showcase his skill set as a lead guard, not a secondary ball handler or off-ball creator, though he can pivot between both. But this hypothetically slims down his options, leading the Spurs -- who have the fourth and eighth picks in the top ten -- to make some heavy-hitting decisions about who and how they'll pair Victor Wembanyama with.

Already having a strong facilitator in Tre Jones, adding a 6-foot-6 combo guard right out of college in Castle will have to prove he can utilize his skill set as a primary ball handler and playmaker on this high of a level. But he'll provide an immediate impact defensively and as a downhill threat.

One of the best guards in the class, Castle will fit nicely next to Wembanyama and Jeremy Sochan despite not being an adept shooter, and he'll fortify their impact as a creator who can leverage his scoring gravity for the benefit of his teammates.

With the Spurs coming off another 22-60 season, they need assistance -- they have the foundation, but without legs to support the body, it could be rendered useless. Castle could be an avenue to pursue that.

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