Stephon Castle is nearly unstoppable when he decides he wants to get to the basket. His vast array of moves and his elite body control get him to any spot that he wants, and when you attack the paint, you get to the free-throw line. He absolutely thrived in that department, and that particular skill will be invaluable to the Spurs.
Highest Foul Drawing Frequency On ISOs For The 2024-25 NBA Regular Season (Min. 100 Total ISO Possessions) :
1. Stephon Castle — 20.9%
2. Paolo Banchero — 20.5%
3. James Harden — 20.2%
4. Anthony Davis — 20.0%
5. Zion Williamson — 19.9%
6. Keyonte George —… https://t.co/VTngc1JMnC pic.twitter.com/2u9AYOLVbt
— Stat Defender (@statdefender) June 17, 2025
The conversations over the last month have all been focused on what San Antonio can bring in and what they'd have to send out to do so. Stephon Castle's name has come up in conversations, but the front office isn't interested in moving the Rookie of the Year. Short of a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, he isn't going anywhere.
Quite honestly, if the Silver and Black hadn't landed the number two pick in the upcoming draft and the right to draft Dylan Harper, I'm not sure even Giannis would get them to give up Steph. The potential that he blossoms into a real star is that encouraging.
Castle can build everything else off his ability to drive
The first assignment for his defenders is going to be to keep Castle out of the paint. That means playing off him, and giving him space so he doesn't easily run by them. Everything else must be built around their fear of the havoc the former UConn champion wreaks when he gets into the paint.
We've already seen a video of him working on his jump shot. The Spurs are going for the playoffs next season. The growing phase will never be over, but the patience is ending. They'll need everyone to work on the skills that are important to good teams going deep into the playoffs: shooting and taking care of the ball.
He and Jeremy Sochan are going to be integral to accomplishing the next campaign's ultimate goal, so it's imperative that they treat their responsibility with the appropriate amount of seriousness. The work will speak for itself when we see them take the floor.
The training must translate to the game, and that doesn't always happen. However, the dedication Sochan has shown is encouraging, and Castle's relentless nature gives us a lens into his mindset. He fights for every inch when that ball goes up, and players like that always put the work in when nobody is watching.
I fully expect Steph's three-point shot to improve by quite a bit next season. If he can nail a league-average percentage, he'll already be one of the most unstoppable young players in the NBA. He'd have the exact same skill set as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but he could still get a better three-ball than the reigning MVP and soon-to-be NBA champion. And that's why you refuse to trade him.