We're looking for _Terminator 2: Judgement Day_\-level follow-up here. When you make an awesome movie, it can be hard to match or surpass that greatness with a sequel, but thanks to movies like _T2_ and _The Dark Knight_, we know that it's possible. But _Mission Impossible 2_ also exists, so there are two sides to that coin. But does anyone really expect Stephon Castle to let us down like Tom Cruise did?
Sure, there will be detractors, but there always are. Some can be labeled "haters," if you will. And I'm not talking about honest critics, we all need those. But there are people out there who have negative energy inside them, and they just unleash it on the rest of us relentlessly for no other reason than to sow discord and division. Forget them. They don't matter here.
As one half of Area 51, I expect Steph to show off an improved toolkit that'll establish him as one of the league's most promising young stars.
Steph's pull-up game is going to help him take off
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We've seen that move in many of the videos we've seen come out of Castle training this offseason. It seems like a big focus of his game isn't just his catch-and-shooting from the perimeter but his ability to stop on the dime and pull up. That's the perfect addition to his repertoire.
Stephon, so far, has taken the bulk of his shots either at the three-point line or in the paint. He's an aggressive driver of the basketball, who understands the need to stretch the floor, despite shooting a low three-point percentage as a rookie. We've seen the videos of him working on that, too, and hopefully, it translates. But where he's really going to eat is that pull-up mid-range.
The scouting report on Castle is going to tell defenders that when he drives, they need to cut him off from getting to the rim. Guys will overcommit to make sure they do that. The counter to that is a stop-and-pop jumper before he gets there. If he makes that a primary part of his game, the sophomore combo-guard becomes a headache of a three-level scorer to defend.
I'd also expect him to take the third-most shots on the team this season. When the real games start, he'll likely be a starter again, but Devin Vassell was third on the team in field goal attempts. While I also still expect Dev in the opening unit, Castle has the style that leans towards being a better player than him.
Last season, Vassell shot the ball about 14 times per game. He and Steph should flip their attempts. Victor Wembanyama led the team with 19, and De'Aaron Fox put up about 17. Those numbers are fine. This offense has always been about sharing the ball, and I don't anticipate it changing now. However, I do [anticipate a great second year](https://airalamo.com/dark-horse-candidates-lead-spurs-assists-season-losing-cp3) for the reigning Rookie of the Year.
If, by chance, he [has a sophomore stumble](https://airalamo.com/mitch-johnson-keys-helping-stephon-castle-avoid-brutal-sophomore-slump), it wouldn't be the end of the world. If Cruise can recover from that abysmal installment of the Mission Impossible franchise, Castle could bounce back from a rough year. But expect a big one from the former UConn Husky. He's got that dog in him.