Inside The Spurs

Stephon Castle's Honest Statement on Spurs' Playoff Elimination

San Antonio Spurs rookie Stephon Castle shares honest statement following elimination from playoff contention
Matt Guzman|
Apr 6, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe (17) drives to the basket against San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) during the second half at Moda Center.
Apr 6, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe (17) drives to the basket against San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) during the second half at Moda Center. | Soobum Im-Imagn Images

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SAN ANTONIO — Stephon Castle knows that all bets are off regarding the San Antonio Spurs this season. That doesn't mean he won't be playing hard.

“We’ve still got to fight with the five guys we have on the court," the rookie said, responding to a question about San Antonio's playoff elimination at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Spurs hit the road with zero margin for error, and while acting coach Mitch Johnson has labeled it such for a few weeks now, the phrase went from metaphorical to literal. The Spurs needed to win out and have the Sacramento Kings lose out at the same time to give themselves a shot at the final Play-In Spot in the West.

Neither side held up their end of the bargain.

"It's not anything to put our heads down about, or say 'What If?'" Castle said. "We still had a chance. We (were) still putting ourselves in position to win games."

The latter bit was true. The Spurs managed to upset the Denver Nuggets on the road a few games prior to falling short in Portland. Without Victor Wembanyama, who was ruled out on Feb. 20 with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, or De'Aaron Fox, who underwent surgery to repair ligament damage in his left fifth finger, wins were hard to come by.

Still, the Spurs persevered. They didn't come out on the right side of the standings, but they have reason to head to the offseason hopeful. Especially with how Castle is shaping up to progress.

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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI. In the world of professional sports, he’s a firm believer that athletes are people, too. He aims to spotlight the true, behind-the-scenes character of players and teams through strong narrative writing and sharp, hooking ledes.

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