The San Antonio Spurs have a decorated history of top-tier offensive duos, but after only a season and a half together, it's safe to say that Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle are coming for the crown.
The San Antonio Spurs, behind Victor Wembanyama, look poised to kick off their second dynasty. From 1997 to 2017, the Spurs won five titles and were always one of the best teams in the NBA. Tim Duncan, of course, was at the center of it, but he wasn't alone.
While players like Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and a young Kawhi Leonard were all excellent in their own right, their best trait was the ability to maximize Duncan. Maybe they got him the ball, or spaced the floor, or carried a defensive load. Regardless, their skill sets helped allow Duncan to have a long career and remain productive well after his physical prime.
In order to maximize and prolong Wembanyama's title window, the Spurs are using the same playbook. De'Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle are all excellent players in their own right, but getting the most out of Wembanyama is the top priority.
Castle, it seems, is the perfect running mate.
Castle and Wembanyama Can Set an NBA Record
John Stockton and Karl Malone played 18 seasons together on the Utah Jazz. They never won the NBA Finals, but are generally regarded as one of the best duos in league history.
Stockton is the NBA's all-time assists leader, with 15,806 dimes. 1,572 of those were sent Malone's way, the most of any pair in NBA history. Parker and Duncan are second all-time, with the Frenchman setting Old Man Riverwalk up 1,533 times.
Last season, Jamal Murray assisted Nikola Jokic 170 times, the most in the NBA. Jokic assisted Murray 147 times, good for second. Castle assisted Wembanyama 130 times, good for sixth.
Castle led the team with 7.4 assists per game, and he isn't even a point guard.
In Castle's rookie season, he assisted Wemby only 36 times, although Wembanyama missed much of the season and Chris Paul was the lead facilitator for the team. The 130 number per year seems about right, which means they will have to play at least 11 more productive seasons together to break Stockton and Malone's record.
Provided they both stay healthy, that doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility.
Both Wembanyama and Castle have made it clear that they want to be lifers in San Antonio, and if Castle takes a similar pay cut to Wembanyama, the team will have the financial flexibility to always have a competitive roster around them.
The bar is set very high with Duncan and Parker, but Castle and Wemby could be a duo on par with the all-time greats.
