Stephon Castle made a point in his debut against the Pacers. That point? You can count on him to improve his game. Last season's Rookie of the Year winner has been getting disrespected left and right as if he were a finished product, but he came in tonight and shot 2/4 from three in his first action of the preseason, proving that there is more to be unearthed from his potential.
Once the Spurs landed the number two overall pick, the worry-warriors came out in full force, concerned that the fit wouldn't be right. Everyone knew who the draft pick would be because Dylan Harper was the obvious choice and the clear-cut second-best player in the draft. But they suggested that San Antonio should move either him, De'Aaron Fox, or the guy who just won ROY because of "fit."
What they ignored in their assessment that "these guys can't shoot well enough to co-exist" is that players often improve, especially top-five draft picks. These guys are coming into the league younger than 20 years old, and analysts are acting like they are finished products. Well, Castle has already begun to debunk that myth.
Castle's improvement is just the tip of the iceberg
We don't want to get too crazy here. It was only one preseason game. But it's a great first step, and he looked comfortable shooting the ball. Videos made the rounds all offseason of the work Steph was putting in to improve his shot, and in the first game, it looks to have paid off for the young Georgia native.
He went out after catching a cramp in the third quarter, but he's confirmed that he's fine and that's all it is. The small ailment cut his night short, but he finished with 14 points, four assists, three rebounds, three steals, and a block in 19 minutes. San Antonio has several all-purpose players now, and it's only going to benefit their depth and multi-dimensional attack ability.
Back in the day, having a bunch of guys who could do the same thing was considered a negative. There was too much overlap. Because of how players across the board have widened their skill sets, that's not the case anymore. It makes your offense harder to guard now, as now, almost entire rosters can shoot, dribble, pass, and finish.
Dylan Harper had another great performance after his impressive debut against the Jazz on Friday, scoring 11 points and making his lone three-point attempt. Keldon Johnson loves to get downhill and play physically, too, but even he's been shooting the ball lights out. If this all continues, it'll be a nightmare to guard the Spurs, and everyone who suggested trading these young guards will look very ridiculous.