Stephon Castle spent his first two seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, breaking out into one of the better players in the NBA. As he prepares for year three, he's been given some very high praise.
There are very few people who think Stephon Castle should have been an All-Star last season, but pretty much everyone expects the San Antonio Spurs' guard to make it sooner rather than later.
In his second NBA season, he averaged 16.7 points and 7.4 assists per game, all while being one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. His shooting showed some promise as the year went on, but he was still below average from deep. If he fixes that, he should take a massive leap.
While his offense is a bit limited (for now), his defense alone makes him one of the more valuable young players in the NBA. After a solid postseason debut where he guarded some of the best players in the world, he's ready to claim a new spot in player rankings.
Is Stephon Castle Better Than Jaylen Brown?
No, he is not.
Last season, without Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown proved that he's a true superstar. He scored 28.7 points per game, finished sixth in MVP voting, and kept the Boston Celtics afloat even after they got ravaged in the offseason.
Brown is clearly the better player over Castle, for now. However, Castle boasts something Brown doesn't: true defensive versatility.
"I think Jaylen Brown is phenomenal," began Castle's trainer, Olin Simplis, in an interview with Mark Medina. "I think the Thompson brothers are phenomenal. But I don’t think they carry Steph’s flexibility. He’s guarding one through five. He’s not just guarding on one possession on a switch. It’s actually part of his game.
"The Spurs put him on post players for extended periods. He does a remarkable job. He’s doing that sometimes in the same game. He’ll go from Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] to Chet [Holmgren]. He’ll go from Jamal Murray to Jokić. He’ll go from [Jalen] Brunson to KAT. If you show me another guard doing that, I’ll change my tune. But I honestly think he’s the best perimeter player."
Calling Castle the best perimeter player in the league is a bit of a stretch. After all, Gilgeous-Alexander's scoring and Luka Doncic's creation make them both better, even without the All-Defensive talents Castle has. While it's a nice point to make, it's a bit premature.
Castle spent the summer with Simplis, working on conditioning and shooting. If he can put everything together, it's not out of the realm of possibility that he will soon be able to rival those guys.
