It's official: San Antonio Spurs fans are cooking right now when it comes to nicknames, the latest being "Area 51." Of course, that refers to Victor Wembanyama, who already has an alien-themed nickname and wears number 1, while Stephon Castle wears number 5. Area 51 itself is in the Nevada Air Base, with alien rumors swirling, adding to the cleverness of the nickname.
With Wembanyama and Castle emerging as a dynamic duo, Spurs fans are understandably interested in seeing more of the pairing. Castle has been tasked with playing point guard to start the season and has been responsible for running the offense and getting Wembanyama the ball.
[He has also been the team's second-leading scorer](https://airalamo.com/stephon-castle-silencing-critics-spurs-find-him-role--always-needed) in the absence of De'Aaron Fox, helping the Spurs to a 7-2 start. His knack for attacking the basket, finishing in traffic, and tendency to draw free throws at an extraterrestrial rate have helped him make a big leap in his sophomore season.
Meanwhile, Wembanyama has changed his game dramatically, taking far fewer threes and replacing those shots with much higher percentage attempts in the paint. That has also helped him draw more free throws, pushing his scoring average up this season.
With Castle and Wembanyama both taking a huge step forward, the Spurs should be loving what they are seeing out of Area 51.
Wembanyama and Castle are the Spurs' new dynamic duo
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The Spurs re-signed Fox with the intention of making him Wembanyama's co-star, but Castle's emergence is an intriguing development. He is developing faster than expected, even though there were some concerns about his shooting and what position he would play in the NBA.
After turning the ball over 42 times in the team's first nine games, he has had some growing pains as a lead playmaker. That being said, it has been for the best. Despite the Spurs getting punched in their collective teeth against the Phoenix Suns, Castle had arguably his best all-around game.
He played physical defense against Devin Booker, looked comfortable being the primary shot creator while keeping his turnovers down, and confidently knocked down shots. Add in that he was able to get to the rim and the free-throw line, and it was a glimpse into an exciting future for Castle.
Area 51 will have to make room for De'Aaron Fox
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Fox now back, it will be fascinating to see how the trio plays together. Fox may limit Castle's production with him handling the ball more, resulting in fewer touches for Castle, who needs the ball to attack the paint or get to the line.
Or, as I suspect, Fox could help unlock other parts of Castle's game. Castle's jumper has been much better this season, and his playing off-ball means that he will have to take more jumpers, possibly allowing him to become a true shooting guard.
He'll still have plenty of opportunities to create with the ball in his hands, but far fewer than he does now. That might be for the best, with him being able to further cut down on his turnovers and play to his strengths.
As a physical driver who can get into the paint and finish or earn trips to the line, being forced to pick his spots and shoot more from outside could be just what he needs. That would allow him to finish rounding out his game and become the Spurs' third star.
Ultimately, the Spurs' early-season success has been a result of Wembanyama and Castle's improved play. Having both players level up has suddenly transformed the Spurs into contenders, with Area 51 officially becoming a problem for the rest of the NBA.