The San Antonio Spurs are brimming with young talent and are hoping that players such as Stephon Castle will take a big leap this season. Despite being the reigning Rookie of the Year, Castle went from being seen as a major part of the Spurs' future to being a bit lost in the mix.
Victor Wembanyama has grabbbed attention with his play and his seemingly ever increasing height. Meanwhile, Dylan Harper turned heads with his strong showing right out of the gate.
Then there is De'Aaron Fox, who the Spurs gave a max contract to after playing just 17 games with the team thus far. Those three players will hopefully take the pressure off Castle in his sophomore season and allow him to find his role, which is becoming increasingly obvious.
The Spurs must bring Stephon Castle off the bench this season
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After the offseason saw the Spurs draft Harper, and let Chris Paul walk, it semeed clear that Castle will start. Nevertheless, Castle's skill set might actually be better suited for the second unit.
Harper has impressed right out of the gate as a playmaker and finisher in the paint. He has also shot the ball well from outside in the preseason, hitting three threes and a couple of mid-range jumpers, suggesting that he is a capable shooter after being labeled otherwise.
As a result, coach Mitch Johnson may have a tough decision to make regarding who should start going forward. No one questions the fact that Harper is a better prospect and has a higher ceiling and he has quickly shown that.
Even so, most Spurs fans have already assumed that Castle will continue to start once the team is at full strength. After all, he has flashed star potential at various points last season and to start this season. He is already terrific at getting into the paint and has proven to be elite at drawing fouls.
Even so, [with him starting at point guard in Fox's absence](https://airalamo.com/stephon-castle-surprising-role-start-spurs-season), his play has seemingly confirmed that he may not be a lead ball handler in the NBA. In the Spurs' first three games, he's turned the ball over 20 times, or 7.5 turnovers per game.
He also looked much better playing alongside Harper, with Harper assuming the primary playmaking responsibilities.
Stephon Castle's versatility makes him perfectly suited as a Sixth Man
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Sending Castle to the bench to play a George Hill-style role makes plenty of sense considering his versatility.
He has the size and versatility to be able to defend three positions while also potentially playing some point guard, shooting guard, and small forward. What's needed is a reliable jump shot to unlock his full potential.
That unique skill set seems more in line with being a third guard. One who plays both backup point guard and shooting guard and even at the three in three-guard lineups. Starting Fox and Harper would give the Spurs two terrific shot creators, with Fox being more of a scoring threat and Harper more of a classic playmaker.
Castle is a bit of both. He had some big scoring games, especially when his jumper was falling. He could thrive in the second unit, taking advantage of opposing second units. That would give him more opportunities to create without him having to sacrifice minutes.
Overall, San Antonio will have a tough decision to make regarding who should start at shooting guard this season. But Harper has quickly proven to be better right out of the gate, and it's entirely possible that he will be starting full-time at some point this season.