Stephon Castle: Future Elite Role Player or Future Star

[KobesAchilles]

I’d argue that he’s one step away from being an elite role player right now. Once he starts hitting 3’s consistently, he’s there.

But with the emergence of him being a combo guard because he’s been thrusted into that role, does that change anyone’s perception of him? I think it was always wishful thinking that he’d have that kind of responsibility in a Manu Ginobili kind of way, but he’s handling the ball more as a point guard during Summer League. It seems like it’s trending more towards a true secondary playmaker instead of a third option type, handle-the-ball-when-you-have-to player.

I think this opens up his upside by a ton. A 6-6” playmaker is going to be fun to watch as a Spurs fan.

[Ginobili2Duncan]

I think his career will go the way of some combination of Marcus Smart and Jrue Holiday. High end role player.

[stnick2261]

I'm saying Elite Role Player... even if to just keep my expectations down. I'm hoping we can get Star #2 next summer, but Wemby + 4 Elite Role Players = a winning team (as long as the role players are set up correctly).

[SPURt]

Chris Paul is the guard whisperer. Then add in growing with Wemby. Castle is gonna be more than a role player when it’s said and done.

[Pauleta14]

I expect him to be borderline Allstar, selections depending a lot on hype and limited places.

I see some SGA in him, the way he keeps his emotions in check and has a collective mindset, but that ceiling depends on his work ethic (shooting in particular) and determination/hunger (to become the best he can be).

Can't wait

[exstatic]

I think his career will go the way of some combination of Marcus Smart and Jrue Holiday. High end role player.

Those players have nowhere near the same career. Jrue has 6 All D team selections and two All Star selections. I wouldn’t categorize that as any kind of ‘role player’, but I’d absolutely take that as Castle’s outcome.

[exstatic]

Chris Paul is the guard whisperer. Then add in growing with Wemby. Castle is gonna be more than a role player when it’s said and done.

Even though we’re not the same type of team, he’ll get room to grow like Kawhi did because of Wemby getting 100% of the attention.

[Ginobili2Duncan]

Those players have nowhere near the same career. Jrue has 6 All D team selections and two All Star selections. I wouldn’t categorize that as any kind of ‘role player’, but I’d absolutely take that as Castle’s outcome.

I get what you’re saying. But imo Jrue is closer to a role player than he was a star. He was never consistent enough on offense to be viewed as a star which is part of the reason why those Bucks teams faltered in the playoffs against good half court defenses.

But I agree with you that if Castle is anywhere close either one that’s a great outcome. They bring winning intangibles.

[exstatic]

I get what you’re saying. But imo Jrue is closer to a role player than he was a star. He was never consistent enough on offense to be viewed as a star which is part of the reason why those Bucks teams faltered in the playoffs against good half court defenses.

But I agree with you that if Castle is anywhere close either one that’s a great outcome. They bring winning intangibles.

He’s run the offense on two championship teams. Not a role player of any kind. He doesn’t have to be a star to not be a role player. Quality starter and elite defender.

[John B]

Castle has the luxury of potentially having a long career with Wemby, much like Manu and TP had with Timmy, and in an organization that values continuity. I think everybody’s play will go up especially with CP? on board. I think Castle will be multiple All-NBA Defensive team at the least.

[Uriel]

I see star potential in Castle. Will he get there? I’m not sure. But the ingredients are certainly there. He can handle the ball, create his own shot, has an incredible feel for the game, knows the little nuances of when to start and stop, when to shift pace and change direction, when to pass the ball and when to look for his own shot, how to contort his body in mid-air. Plus, he is said to have a very strong work ethic, and his shooting form already looks good, so there’s reason to be optimistic he will learn to shoot it straight.

[exstatic]

I see star potential in Castle. Will he get there? I’m not sure. But the ingredients are certainly there. He can handle the ball, create his own shot, has an incredible feel for the game, knows the little nuances of when to start and stop, when to shift pace and change direction, when to pass the ball and when to look for your own shot, how to contort your body in mid-air. Plus, he is said to have a very strong work ethic, and his shooting form already looks good, so there’s reason to be optimistic he will learn to shoot it straight.

The thing that really impressed me was his selection of a university. He was the #9-10 recruit in his class, and I think the #2 PG. He probably had coaches lining up to put the ball in his hands and let him do whatever he wanted. He passed on that and went to a top notch program that would teach him things he needs to know for the next level. That impressed me, that a high level recruit was willing to play a role in order to learn and to win.

[slick'81]

Need that castle vassell duo to beak the fck out this season

[BatManu20]

Guess it depends on what you mean by “Star.” I personally think he’ll make at least a couple All-Star games in his career once his prime rolls around. All hinges on that jump shot of course. His defense should be elite from day one, and he’s already a very good passer who excels at bullying his way to the cup. All the tools are there. Either way, he bottoms out as a high-end role player imo who has the potential to be an All-Star caliber player, which I eventually think he will be, especially playing alongside Wemby.

[JPB]

Ask me after his rookie season.

[BacktoBasics]

Guess it depends on what you mean by “Star.” I personally think he’ll make at least a couple All-Star games in his career once his prime rolls around. All hinges on that jump shot of course. His defense should be elite from day one, and he’s already a very good passer who excels at bullying his way to the cup. All the tools are there. Either way, he bottoms out as a high-end role player imo who has the potential to be an All-Star caliber player, which I eventually think he will be, especially playing alongside Wemby.

He feels like the next Marcus Smart. Jumper issues as well.

[Joseph Kony]

another Jeremy Sochan tbh

[SPURt]

Even though we’re not the same type of team, he’ll get room to grow like Kawhi did because of Wemby getting 100% of the attention.
Agreed. Situation matters and it’s an interesting thought experiment to consider what becomes of Parker and Ginobili on a different team? Same for Klay and especially Draymond in GS. The gravity of a transcendent players cultivate the players around them.

[exstatic]

Agreed. Situation matters and it’s an interesting thought experiment to consider what becomes of Parker and Ginobili on a different team? Same for Klay and especially Draymond in GS. The gravity of a transcendent players cultivate the players around them.

Draymond almost didn’t happen in GS. Mark Jackson barely played him. If they hadn’t hired Kerr, he might have withered on the vine, never becoming the league’s #1 villain.

[scott]

Ultimate jinx thread, tbqh.

Thanks for ruining him before he even plays a game.

[Ef-man]

Ultimate jinx thread, tbqh.

Thanks for ruining him before he even plays a game.

Another Jimmer Fredette, Jimmer Fredette

Come to terms!!!

[Mr. Body]

The thing that really impressed me was his selection of a university. He was the #9-10 recruit in his class, and I think the #2 PG. He probably had coaches lining up to put the ball in his hands and let him do whatever he wanted. He passed on that and went to a top notch program that would teach him things he needs to know for the next level. That impressed me, that a high level recruit was willing to play a role in order to learn and to win.

I believe he committed to UConn before they made their run, i.e. before they won the first of the back-to-backs. He sniffed out a coach and staff on the verge of greatness.

[exstatic]

I believe he committed to UConn before they made their run, i.e. before they won the first of the back-to-backs. He sniffed out a coach and staff on the verge of greatness.

He still could have done what almost every young recruit would do and go for USG% to show up for scouts.

UConn, in their long and storied history, had never had a McDonalds All American commit, even when they won three championships under Jim Calhoun. Just winning had never been a high draw before.

[The Truth #6]

Ultimate jinx thread, tbqh.

Thanks for ruining him before he even plays a game.

Yeah, my thoughts as well, Golden Boy.

[Mr. Body]

He still could have done what almost every young recruit would do and go for USG% to show up for scouts.

UConn, in their long and storied history, had never had a McDonalds All American commit, even when they won three championships under Jim Calhoun. Just winning had never been a high draw before.

Sure. My point is rather that Castle saw precisely what he wanted from a coaching staff and that he was absolutely correct in identifying how good they were.

[daslicer]

Agreed. Situation matters and it’s an interesting thought experiment to consider what becomes of Parker and Ginobili on a different team? Same for Klay and especially Draymond in GS. The gravity of a transcendent players cultivate the players around them.

Klay would have been great anywhere he played. He had a great skill set in his quick release and great shooting. His game would have worked in any system. He would have still been a guy getting 20 plus points per game on any other team. The benefit of playing in GSW was that it allowed him to win multiple titles by playing with a great player in Curry. Now Draymond would have been out of the league had he not played on GSW.

[spurraider21]

hate to state the obvious but frankly depends on how much he can improve his shot

if he remains a subpar shooter (but at least better than say, Andre Roberson), he seems to have enough game to carve a role even if its not a full time long term starter

if he becomes a solid enough shooter where teams cant just comfortably sag off pick and rolls, then he can become a high end role player

if he becomes a knockdown shooter the way nephew developed, there is star upside. i do consider this to be the least likely outcome

[Frenchfred]

I think his career will go the way of some combination of Marcus Smart and Jrue Holiday. High end role player.

if he becomes like Jrue, that would be awesome and one good piece for a championship team.

[spursparker9]

Tbh, he seems to have the boring personality of Nephew. Which is actually great as their pure focus is only on basketball which would explain their great work ethic.

Great work ethic and less distraction and complacent would surely yield results

[ginobilized]

I'm going to wait until he has played 1 game and then make sweeping generalizations of his future only to pivot 180 degrees when he has another game that is better/worse than first game. Rinse and repeat 80 x.
This is the SpursTalk way.

[couchman]

People need to reset expectations and give Castle time.
Right now the question is whether he will be a bust or not.
The shooting is awful and I’m rooting for him to fix it but it won’t happen overnight.

[KingKev]

I'm going to wait until he has played 1 game and then make sweeping generalizations of his future only to pivot 180 degrees when he has another game that is better/worse than first game. Rinse and repeat 80 x.
This is the SpursTalk way.

I’ll wait till his first breakout game to consider whether he is the reincarnation of Tony, Manu or Kawhi or maybe a better version of all 3.

[exstatic]

People need to reset expectations and give Castle time.
Right now the question is whether he will be a bust or not.
The shooting is awful and I’m rooting for him to fix it but it won’t happen overnight.

Right now, that’s literally the only thing wrong with his game. He needs one coin flip to go right. People crapping on him wanted Thompson twins last year,who each need like 4-5 coin flips to go right. People love the shiny things. They run fast and jump high.

[wildbill2u]

Discussion above seems to prove how calculating and smart he is about his future. You have to respect that, especially from a youngster making choices about where to enroll for his next step.

[z0sa]

Without a consistent outside shot, he will have trouble even reaching elite roleplayer status. With it, he could absolutely be a future star. Too early to tell, but he's already got a better shot than Sideways-Spin Sochan.

[spursistan]

Bump.

Seen how his shot is starting to slowly come around mid-season, I am far more bullish on Castle's prospects now than I were at start of the season. I firmly believe we may have drafted the best overall player in the draft with the fourth pick (it is gonna come down to him or Risacher eventually)

After watching glimpses of his 'player package', Stephon passes the eye test with flying colors: youngin' fearlessness, veteran-like poise and maturity on court. Just that unquantifiable It factor about him we all saw in rookie Kawhi before he went rogue. But, unlike Leonard, Castle's presser soundbites alone screams a future team leader/Alpha and should Wemby recoil from assuming such role..

Tentative Career Projection for Castle as of Feb 2025.

High-end Ceiling (20%) : Second-tier star in the mold of Jimmy Butler
Middle-end Ceiling (50%): 2nd/3rd banana in the mold Middleton or Jrue-Holiday
Low-end Ceiling (30%): Elite Role in the in the mold of Celtics' Derrick White

[RC_Drunkford]

He’s already started making off the dribble pull up 3s. Kid gon be a monster

[Extra Stout]

Castle’s advanced stats are still messy and he makes a lot of mistakes, but it’s clear he’s special.

[DAF86]

Castle’s advanced stats are still messy and he makes a lot of mistakes, but it’s clear he’s special.

I wonder how those metrics look in these past games after he clearly leveled up.

[spursistan]

I wonder how those metrics look in these past games after he clearly leveled up.
Most exciting development is his shooting levelling up to where he is no longer completely ignored by opposing D ala Sochan. Dude earned 30-32 minutes a night if not for the rotten politics of team hierarchy.

[Mikesatx]

I’m probably going to get killed for this but I see Kobe. He’s willing to sacrifice for his team which Kobe didn’t always do. His presence and confidence are really similar to me. Both 6’6 and hyper athletic. Obviously I’m a huge fan of his and believe he will be great.

[spursistan]

I’m probably going to get killed for this but I see Kobe. He’s willing to sacrifice for his team which Kobe didn’t always do. His presence and confidence are really similar to me. Both 6’6 and hyper athletic. Obviously I’m a huge fan of his and believe he will be great.

Nah man, that's a bit of a stretch :lol Could change, and i agree he has the "it" factor but that's not enough. I have him pegged in these more realistic player ceiling outcomes .


Bump.


Seen how his shot is starting to slowly come around mid-season, I am far more bullish on Castle's prospects now than I were at start of the season. I firmly believe we may have drafted the best overall player in the draft with the fourth pick (it is gonna come down to him or Risacher eventually)


After watching glimpses of his 'player package', Stephon passes the eye test with flying colors: youngin' fearlessness, veteran-like poise and maturity on court. Just that unquantifiable It factor about him we all saw in rookie Kawhi before he went rogue. But, unlike Leonard, Castle's presser soundbites alone screams a future team leader/Alpha and should Wemby recoil from assuming such role..


Tentative Career Projection for Castle as of Feb 2025.


High-end Ceiling (20%) : Second-tier star in the mold of Jimmy Butler
Middle-end Ceiling (50%): 2nd/3rd banana in the mold Middleton or Jrue-Holiday
Low-end Ceiling (30%): Elite Role in the in the mold of Celtics' Derrick White

[rascal]

I’m probably going to get killed for this but I see Kobe. He’s willing to sacrifice for his team which Kobe didn’t always do. His presence and confidence are really similar to me. Both 6’6 and hyper athletic. Obviously I’m a huge fan of his and believe he will be great.

No, Kobe was more fluid and smoother with his shot and smoother as a player overall.

[Mikesatx]

Castle is a rookie and Kobe is a top 15 guy of all time. By the time his rookie deal is up we’ll see the trajectory. I agree that he has the “it” factor. I don’t think I’m seeing him through my Spurs rose colored glasses. I really think he is going to be a superstar. The comps on Butler are tough for me because of all the bullshit Butler has put past teams through. That being said if he is Butler without the drama and stays in SA for his career his number gets retired and he’s in the hof.

[DAF86]

Castle is a rookie and Kobe is a top 15 guy of all time. By the time his rookie deal is up we’ll see the trajectory. I agree that he has the “it” factor. I don’t think I’m seeing him through my Spurs rose colored glasses. I really think he is going to be a superstar. The comps on Butler are tough for me because of all the bullshit Butler has put past teams through. That being said if he is Butler without the drama and stays in SA for his career his number gets retired and he’s in the hof.

I don't see Kobe at all on Castle's style, tbh. Stephon reminds me more of Wade with those eurosteps to get to the basket.

[Mikesatx]

I can see Wade more than Butler. I don’t remember Wade as much early in his career as I do Kobe because we had to go through the Lakers. Kobe was cocky and confident. Even when he did stupid shit he was unfazed. In Castle I don’t see the cockiness but I definitely see the confidence. He does stupid shit too and also seems unfazed. They both look like they know they are better and want to rip your heart out.

[dn0774]

Castle has a physicality that is very promising, usually you don't see guys as young as him this filled out already. I'm really intrigued to see how he develops his body going forward because he doesn't need to add more size as many young players typically need to do. His finishing around the rim has really improved in just the last two months. Wish he could be take part in more traditional lineups (ie Castle at 2, no Sochan, legit big defender behind him) because I think he could thrive even more.

I do think his average first step will handicap how high he can top out ultimately.

[DAF86]

Castle has a physicality that is very promising, usually you don't see guys as young as him this filled out already. I'm really intrigued to see how he develops his body going forward because he doesn't need to add more size as many young players typically need to do. His finishing around the rim has really improved in just the last two months. Wish he could be take part in more traditional lineups (ie Castle at 2, no Sochan, legit big defender behind him) because I think he could thrive even more.

I do think his average first step will handicap how high he can top out ultimately.

Weird opinion, seeing how even with that (I don't know if it's really all that) average first step, he can get to the rim at will.

Players like Luka have shown us that you don't need to be the fastest guy out there, if you have the skills and the IQ, you can get to the rim at will.

[SouthernFried]

Looks a lot like an early Kawhi, imho.

[100%duncan]

Looks a lot like an early Kawhi, imho.

He's better than rookie and Sophomore Kawhi tbh.

[dn0774]

Weird opinion, seeing how even with that (I don't know if it's really all that) average first step, he can get to the rim at will.

Players like Luka have shown us that you don't need to be the fastest guy out there, if you have the skills and the IQ, you can get to the rim at will.

Luka can shoot lights out and has to be defended as such. If Castle gains respect as a shooter he will get by more people off the dribble and the point would be moot. Harden is another guy who seemed quicker than he actually was due to his shooting ability and how close he had to be guarded.

Castles drives are most often going into people or with the defender at his hip as opposed to getting actual separation off the dribble ala Fox or Maxey types. Castle does get a nice free throw volume out of his drives due in part to the defender staying with him. Most of Castles blow bys happen against bigs who get mismatched onto him, rarely have I seen it against a defending guard or wing.

A clear blow by is just often more valuable because it usually results in a big having to step up to contest which creates offensive advantages. Tony Parker owes most of his career’s success to his first step. Castle being bigger than the other pg’s I mentioned can change the equation a bit, I just think his ability to separate with his first step is average. Pre-draft assessments of him often mentioned it as well.

[Uriel]

Bump.

Seen how his shot is starting to slowly come around mid-season, I am far more bullish on Castle's prospects now than I were at start of the season. I firmly believe we may have drafted the best overall player in the draft with the fourth pick (it is gonna come down to him or Risacher eventually)

After watching glimpses of his 'player package', Stephon passes the eye test with flying colors: youngin' fearlessness, veteran-like poise and maturity on court. Just that unquantifiable It factor about him we all saw in rookie Kawhi before he went rogue. But, unlike Leonard, Castle's presser soundbites alone screams a future team leader/Alpha and should Wemby recoil from assuming such role..

Tentative Career Projection for Castle as of Feb 2025.

High-end Ceiling (20%) : Second-tier star in the mold of Jimmy Butler
Middle-end Ceiling (50%): 2nd/3rd banana in the mold Middleton or Jrue-Holiday
Low-end Ceiling (30%): Elite Role in the in the mold of Celtics' Derrick White
His low end is Derrick White? Damn :lol

[Uriel]

Let’s recall that even Keldon Johnson in his sophomore season at times looked better than Kawhi in his sophomore season. For the record, I think Castle has a higher ceiling than Johnson, I’m just saying that we shouldn’t get way too ahead of ourselves :lol

[John B]

He's better than rookie and Sophomore Kawhi tbh.

Agree. Kawhi was timid and had to be constantly coaxed to believe in himself. Castle is oozing with confidence. Kawhi though was freakishly strong with LeBron shaking his head type when Kawhi was on him. But I see the same smothering defense. We got ourselves a true Alpha - I like the Wade comp

[John B]

His low end is Derrick White? Damn :lol

We always knew Derrick was skilled, but his problem was tooo nice he gets bullied off starting line-up by DJ. It took awhile for Derrick to believe in himself and get his own. No problem with Castle believing in himself. The kid is a natural Alpha.

[LeBowen]

Those Jimmy/Jrue hybrid comps are holding up well.
He's been on a tear since Spurs came back from Paris, idk who gets benched, Castle must start.
We're not getting anywhere this season and his development needs to be the #2 priority after Wemby's.

He's averaging 4.5 FTA when he plays more than 25 minutes, 5 FTA when he plays more than 30. That's with a rookie whistle and often being fucked over by the refs.
It's an invaluable skill to have, puts so much pressure on the opposition.

In 8 games since Spurs got back from Paris he's at 14-33 from 3pt, 41%.
Another unexpected development, he's way ahead of where even the biggest optimists thought he'd be.
And it's not random because he was at 70% from FT in his first 30 games, 76% over the next 20.
The next thing I'd like to see is a reliable pull-up from around the FT line, that would already make him a great offensive weapon. No doubt that he'll get there.

I was really high on him, but I didn't expect he'd be so good offensively in his rookie season.
If he continues on this trajectory, will easily be a 20/5/5 guy with great point of attack defense as soon as the next season.

[Strategic]

I think Castle’s game is being pushed by the losing. He’s not gonna take losing sitting down. Until he gets benched, that is.

[spursparker9]

I see Wade/Rose hybrid

[Dejounte]

With his improved shooting, it sounds like more and more he could be played with a non volume shooter like Sochan tbh

[exstatic]

Luka can shoot lights out and has to be defended as such. If Castle gains respect as a shooter he will get by more people off the dribble and the point would be moot. Harden is another guy who seemed quicker than he actually was due to his shooting ability and how close he had to be guarded.

Castles drives are most often going into people or with the defender at his hip as opposed to getting actual separation off the dribble ala Fox or Maxey types. Castle does get a nice free throw volume out of his drives due in part to the defender staying with him. Most of Castles blow bys happen against bigs who get mismatched onto him, rarely have I seen it against a defending guard or wing.

A clear blow by is just often more valuable because it usually results in a big having to step up to contest which creates offensive advantages. Tony Parker owes most of his career’s success to his first step. Castle being bigger than the other pg’s I mentioned can change the equation a bit, I just think his ability to separate with his first step is average. Pre-draft assessments of him often mentioned it as well.

Luka’s rookie and sophomore numbers were 33 and 32%, and his career mark is a shade under 35%. He is not and has never been a lights out 3 pt. shooter. Barely league average.

[exstatic]

Weird opinion, seeing how even with that (I don't know if it's really all that) average first step, he can get to the rim at will.

Players like Luka have shown us that you don't need to be the fastest guy out there, if you have the skills and the IQ, you can get to the rim at will.

Not to mention SGA. There’s a reason those comps exist. Big physical guards that both navigate the paint effectively without being super quick or fast.

[cutewizard]

Castle and Sochan are developing some good court chemistry lately

[mystargtr34]

I do see a little bit of Wade but Castle is not as explosive off the dribble but he’s bigger and stronger.

I see Jimmy Butler and I also see some young Brandon Roy.

[Mugen]

Castle with a non-rookie whistle is gonna feed families tbh. That Jimmy Butler trajectory looks to be apt.

[cd98]

Castle is a role player right now, but if he shoots 37% from the field, he can be a star because he does everything else well.

[RC_Drunkford]

Those Jimmy/Jrue hybrid comps are holding up well.
He's been on a tear since Spurs came back from Paris, idk who gets benched, Castle must start.
We're not getting anywhere this season and his development needs to be the #2 priority after Wemby's.

He's averaging 4.5 FTA when he plays more than 25 minutes, 5 FTA when he plays more than 30. That's with a rookie whistle and often being fucked over by the refs.
It's an invaluable skill to have, puts so much pressure on the opposition.

In 8 games since Spurs got back from Paris he's at 14-33 from 3pt, 41%.
Another unexpected development, he's way ahead of where even the biggest optimists thought he'd be.
And it's not random because he was at 70% from FT in his first 30 games, 76% over the next 20.
The next thing I'd like to see is a reliable pull-up from around the FT line, that would already make him a great offensive weapon. No doubt that he'll get there.

I was really high on him, but I didn't expect he'd be so good offensively in his rookie season.
If he continues on this trajectory, will easily be a 20/5/5 guy with great point of attack defense as soon as the next season.

that's cause he worked on his shot while the Spurs were stuck in LA

[Davidicus]

Im a fan of the Jimmy / Rose combo. Castle gotta step up the D to get on Jrue's level. But goddamn the last few games have been eye-opening.

[CGD]

STAR baby!

If SGA can be an MVP caliber player being a career 35% from 3point, I think Steph can make some noise as his career evolves given his bbiq and intangibles.

[LeBowen]

that's cause he worked on his shot while the Spurs were stuck in LA

Everyone works on their shot. Some just don't have what it takes.

[dn0774]

Luka’s rookie and sophomore numbers were 33 and 32%, and his career mark is a shade under 35%. He is not and has never been a lights out 3 pt. shooter. Barely league average.

He shoots near 10 a game most seasons, teams guard him like he’s Steph Curry. His 3p% considering his volume and shot difficulty (lots of dribble step backs) is usually pretty good. He is able to get by people entirely because he teams are scared to death of his 3.

Edit to add, same thing for Harden…league average 3pt% in his elite years yet no one considered dropping back off him at any time. Big difference being league avg as a 3 and D corner 3 guy and being league avg on 10 attempts a game with superstar usage is all I’m saying.

[Gagnrath]

Castle is a rookie and Kobe is a top 15 guy of all time. By the time his rookie deal is up we’ll see the trajectory. I agree that he has the “it” factor. I don’t think I’m seeing him through my Spurs rose colored glasses. I really think he is going to be a superstar. The comps on Butler are tough for me because of all the bullshit Butler has put past teams through. That being said if he is Butler without the drama and stays in SA for his career his number gets retired and he’s in the hof.


Kobe is a big stretch, If you look at early Raptors Carter I see a better comparison. That said even at that point V.C. was more polished due to more college time. That being said the guy who had potential as a shooter but wasn't there yet and having blow-by athletics is there.

[SPURt]

He looks a lot like rookie D Rose to me, whom this board would absolutely shit on his rookie year :lol

[Dejounte]

Butler was my initial comp but Castle plays smaller than him and spends less time doing post ups. I think shades of Wade and Rose describes Castle best.

[paperboy77]

Castle is pretty great to watch right now. We'll have to see what happens beyond this year when teams have figured out how to deal with him. If i were him id shoot as many outside shots/three pointers as possible to the point of muscle failure this summer. Teams will figure his current game out soon and he'll be just another defensive contract. (BTW, i think he's well on his way to be a great shooter based off the work ethic and attitude.)

[CGD]

He looks a lot like rookie D Rose to me, whom this board would absolutely shit on his rookie year :lol

Nah man. I love Castle, but D-Rose was a next level explosive athlete. I def see the SGA-lite comps tho.

[MannyIsGod]

Expectations should be that we have a star in Castle tbh. What he's doing right now - as a 19 year old rookie - breaking people down and scoring with strength is almost unheard of. Rookies don't come into the league at 19 and throw their bodies around like this at the guard position.

[dn0774]

Butler was my initial comp but Castle plays smaller than him and spends less time doing post ups. I think shades of Wade and Rose describes Castle best.

I actually hope that the Spurs explore Castle as a post up option down the road (in a couple years), could be a devastating option if teams put a small in him.

[kht]

Sophomore Kawhi was a rebound or made free throw away from the title... with no one else near the stratosphere of a Wemby type player.

[spurraider21]

Sophomore Kawhi was a rebound or made free throw away from the title... with no one else near the stratosphere of a Wemby type player.
you had the big 3 still playing at a high level. duncan obviously wasnt what he once was, but he was all-nba first team and 7th in MVP voting in 2013. parker was 2nd team and came 6th in MVP voting.

manu was still very good even if not the explosive player he used to be (although in 2013 he was pretty awful in some of the games in that series, especially game 4 iirc, before he started and was the hero in game 5)

then you had high end role players in tiago spliiter, danny green, boris diaw, and even gary neal when he was still good. that was also more or less peak pop

[RC_Drunkford]

Wemby, Castle, Fox. We need to find the 4th star, preferably a forward

[LeBowen]

Wemby, Castle, Fox. We need to find the 4th star, preferably a forward

We really don't.
We need to find a great coach that will find optimal roles for everyone.

Fox/Castle/Wemby with two high end 3-D players and actual coaching would be enough for 50 wins, tbh.

Don't get me wrong, if we can get a star without ruining our cap situation or giving up Castle, go for it, but I don't think it's needed considering how current CBA works and that it wouldn't be sustainable when Wemby's extension kicks in.
That's why I'd be fine with KD for a couple of years until Wemby's extension.

But coaching is by far the biggest need.
I'd rather have an elite coach and a couple of good 3-D wings than someone average and KD.

[jermaine]

Wemby, Castle, Fox. We need to find the 4th star, preferably a forward

Devin ain't it

[RC_Drunkford]

We really don't.
We need to find a great coach that will find optimal roles for everyone.

Fox/Castle/Wemby with two high end 3-D players and actual coaching would be enough for 50 wins, tbh.

Don't get me wrong, if we can get a star without ruining our cap situation or giving up Castle, go for it, but I don't think it's needed considering how current CBA works and that it wouldn't be sustainable when Wemby's extension kicks in.
That's why I'd be fine with KD for a couple of years until Wemby's extension.

But coaching is by far the biggest need.
I'd rather have an elite coach and a couple of good 3-D wings than someone average and KD.

Coach is by far the biggest need. But if we get just one of those ATL picks to hit and draft another All-Star caliber guy, it‘s over for the league. Unless our coach is Mitch Johnson :lol

[tonight...you]

We really don't.
We need to find a great coach that will find optimal roles for everyone.

Fox/Castle/Wemby with two high end 3-D players and actual coaching would be enough for 50 wins, tbh.

Don't get me wrong, if we can get a star without ruining our cap situation or giving up Castle, go for it, but I don't think it's needed considering how current CBA works and that it wouldn't be sustainable when Wemby's extension kicks in.
That's why I'd be fine with KD for a couple of years until Wemby's extension.

But coaching is by far the biggest need.
I'd rather have an elite coach and a couple of good 3-D wings than someone average and KD.
Completely agree.

[exstatic]

We really don't.
We need to find a great coach that will find optimal roles for everyone.

Fox/Castle/Wemby with two high end 3-D players and actual coaching would be enough for 50 wins, tbh.

Don't get me wrong, if we can get a star without ruining our cap situation or giving up Castle, go for it, but I don't think it's needed considering how current CBA works and that it wouldn't be sustainable when Wemby's extension and Fox’s extension kicks in.
That's why I'd be fine with KD for a couple of years until Wemby's extension.

But coaching is by far the biggest need.
I'd rather have an elite coach and a couple of good 3-D wings than someone average and KD.

Don’t forget the other one.

[LeBowen]

Don’t forget the other one.

He's already on a max deal. Yeah, it's going to go from 25% to 30%, but still not a major change.
It's just my personal opinion, but I never liked top heavy teams with no money left over for role players and the bench.

Unless we draft one, the only younger potential star I'd trade a lot of assets for is Murphy because of his amazing contract.
But all that is in distant future and irrelevant until we figure out who's going to coach this team next season.

[exstatic]

He's already on a max deal. Yeah, it's going to go from 25% to 30%, but still not a major change.
It's just my personal opinion, but I never liked top heavy teams with no money left over for role players and the bench.

Unless we draft one, the only younger potential star I'd trade a lot of assets for is Murphy because of his amazing contract.
But all that is in distant future and irrelevant until we figure out who's going to coach this team next season.
It’s 25% of a very old (2020) cap to 30% of a newer and higher cap. Even without the possibility of a SuperMax, it will average $57M/yr.

[LeBowen]

It’s 25% of a very old (2020) cap to 30% of a newer and higher cap. Even without the possibility of a SuperMax, it will average $57M/yr.

The number is irrelevant, of course it will be higher when the cap is projected to be at 170-187-207-226-249 million in those years.
Right now it's at 24% even with the CBA change, percentages are the only thing that matters.

[Guru of Nothing]

Just noodling around with a csv I pulled down from the reference of Castle's season stats and picking a few cherries.

In 27 games Castle has played under 27 minutes, he is 14/72 (19%). His last nine games are included in this figure.
In 23 games Castle has played over 27 minutes, he is 41/119 (34.5%)

I suck at Excel, so these numbers might be in error, but eyeballs tend to agree.

My suggestion: play Castle more - give Stphon the damn ball.

[CGD]

Don’t forget the other one.

I’d have to look at the years, but wouldn’t Castles extension not kick in until Fox’s next deal is up? I think the timing might actually work out well in the event Castle blows up. Most of Fox’s next deal will have run by the time Wembys starts as well, no?

I don’t see Fox getting two big deals after the current one, tbh.

[scott]

I am not going to go as far to predict it, but I would not be surprised if Fox gives SA some kind of slight discount the way Brunson did. Klutch has wanted to pair one of their guys with Wemby, and it wouldn't shock me if part of the deal before the trade was the Spurs talking to Rich Paul and saying we're in, but not at a full max. Again... not predicting it, but also wouldn't rule it out.

[Knoxxx]

Fox could be a good candidate for a declining dollar deal like Vassell.