Stephon Castle Is Thriving On The New-Look Spurs

Stephon Castle's name came up a lot in trade rumors prior to the NBA's February 6th deadline. However, among the many blockbuster moves, Castle's San Antonio Spurs were able to acquire star guard De'Aaron Fox while keeping the fourth overall pick on the roster.

Fox stated his desire to play alongside Castle, for him and many others believe the 20-year-old wing is destined for stardom. He displayed this upside in San Antonio's first game after the trade deadline. For the first time in his career, he recorded a 30-point game, while also exhibiting stellar efficiency in his 33-point effort. Throughout his rookie season, Castle has struggled with scoring efficiency, still shooting just 48.4% from two-point range and 28.3% from beyond the arc for 50.8 TS% on the season. However, in this thrilling close loss to the Charlotte Hornets, Castle knocked down all but five of his fifteen field goal attempts, inclduing 3-for-5 shooting from three and 10-for-11 shooting from the free throw line.

Part of this success could be attributed to the skill-set of Castle's new teammate, De'Aaron Fox. Through his drive-and-kick game, Fox set up his former UConn Husky teammate for open spot-up opportunities and transition layups. The 6-foot-5 rookie also did his own work off the dribble, though. On many occasions he penetrated the defense through impressive, complex drives. He penetrated the defense with speed, and won on spot-up drives through shrewd technique and footwork.

Moving forward, Castle is a good wing fit next to star teammates Victor Wembanyama and Fox due to his well-rounded skill-set. For starters, he's a stout defender at the point-of-attack, employing his quick feet and 6-foot-9 wingspan to stay connected with ball handlers. This not only alleviates pressure off Fox, but also forms a dynamic tandem with Wembanyama, who patrols the paint better than nearly anyone with his 7-foot-4 frame.

Offensively, Castle is burgeoning into a capable secondary ball handler and playmaker alongside Fox who can also create in transition and in the two-man game with Wembanyama. But at the same time, he fits in well off-the-ball as a complementary cutter and interior play finisher next to Fox and Wembanynama. As he works to continue developing his three-point shot, Castle has a chance to fulfill his potential as a star wing for San Antonio.