The San Antonio Spurs, despite boasting a top-ten player in Victor Wembanyama and an All-Star point guard in De'Aaron Fox, are still a young team on the rise. This season has been decimated by injuries and illnesses to their best players and head coach Gregg Popovich, but it's clear that the Spurs are poised to start winning eventually.
A key player in the Spurs' rebuild is rookie guard Stephon Castle, who has stepped up in a big way. He's leading the Rookie of the Year race and is averaging a solid 13.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game.
Granted, his shooting efficiency needs some work, but he is solid on both ends of the floor and has taken over his fair share of games recently.
Over the last ten games, he has been averaging 19.2 points and has come off the bench in nine of those contests. Friday night's loss to the Charlotte Hornets was his first start since Feb. 3, and the rookie has made it clear that his best trait is his adaptability.
"When you start the game and play with those guys, there's probably a different level of the game flow at the start of the game than when you come in later," said acting head coach Mitch Johnson of Castle slotting into the starting five. "But again, he's done it, so I think he'll continue to adjust and get back into the rhythm and roll with that."
Castle posts better stats in starts, which makes sense since he gets more minutes, although he seems to be just as comfortable leading the bench unit as he is playing a secondary role with the starting five.
Related: Spurs' Defense Surrenders Record Day In Loss to Hornets
When the Spurs put forward a winning effort next season, it's hard to deny him the starting shooting guard spot in the backcourt next to Fox. He's been everything the Spurs could want so far.
Check out the Inside the Spurs home page for more news, analysis, and must-read articles.
Related: Jeremy Sochan Makes Prediction for San Antonio Spurs Moving Forward
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This story was originally published March 15, 2025 at 4:37 PM.
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