Game Thread: San Antonio Spurs vs. Chinese NT @ 7 PM CT - Summer League Game #3

[spursparker9]

So much of Castle and Sochan's future hinges on their ability to hit jumpers, same goes for Wesley and Cissoko. Not super confident on Spurs' ability to help them get there though, but getting the best shooting coaches money can buy should be a top priority.

Castle is in different class compared to Sochan, Wesly and Cissoko as he has already showing ability for pull-up jumpers. That's the prerequisite for the rare go-get-a-bucket player.

The other 3 so far has only shown capability of being a spot up shooter.

[ace3g]

[Chinook]

Why do the press conferences look like they're in a Mac commercial?

[couchman]

Castle’s poor shooting is a big part of why I don’t see him starting.
I’m rooting for him and the kid does a lot well but he won’t amount to much unless he fixes the shot.

[sfernald]

Not being able to shoot will eventually create a negative feedback loop where the team can't afford to give a player developmental minutes because they struggle to not have an overall negative impact on their team. It might not matter this year. But if it does, it'll be something like Sochan no longer being in closing lineups because Barnes is a reliable shooter and Paul, Vassell, Johnson and Wemby need that more than they need Jeremy's defensive versatility or driving. For Castle, he may not get as many wing minutes if he can't space the floor. Some people might think that's a good thing, but Paul and Jones are still going to get minutes. This would only limit Castle's ability to play with them during some of those minutes. But as time goes on, if those guys aren't able to play those positions in crunch time, then the Spurs have to continue to bring in players which can mean drafting Traore, trading for Garland, etc. Then because they guys are no longer "the future", they won't have the same pull for minutes if they aren't helping their teams.

That's why it's really hard to feel okay with a "We know, but" response to worries about Castle's or Sochan's shooting. For better or worse, players are going to start getting less and less runway, and a player coming in with a broken a shot is basically like a plane having faulty engines. It's going to become harder and harder for them to actually take off.

The good news with Castle is that his shot looks 10x less broken than Sidy - dear god that is some ugly there!

[sfernald]

Castle’s poor shooting is a big part of why I don’t see him starting.
I’m rooting for him and the kid does a lot well but he won’t amount to much unless he fixes the shot.

Sochan was 31% 3point shooter last year. You think he will shoot worse than that his first year?

[onechance87]

Sochan was 31% 3point shooter last year. You think he will shoot worse than that his first year?

he could,He started to shoot worst as the season went on,And teams started to dare him to shoot.

[DPG21920]

Castle shot doesn’t look broken to me. It really does strike me, and I said as much in lead up to draft about my concerns with him, that he just has that Boris Diaw mentality where you have to coax him to be aggressive and confident.

Of course he has shooting issues but in seeing his shot it really doesn’t look jacked or anything.

[onechance87]

Castle is in different class compared to Sochan, Wesly and Cissoko as he has already showing ability for pull-up jumpers. That's the prerequisite for the rare go-get-a-bucket player.

The other 3 so far has only shown capability of being a spot up shooter.

he hasint shown the ability for pull up jumpers yet..Guy shot like two jumpers so far.Still has alot to prove offensively.Only time
well tell.

[Mugen]

Yeah, maybe it's copium but it looks fixable to me.

Like I don't expect a Nephew like progression but you don't have to squint very hard to see poor man's Jimmy Butler that everybody was comping pre-draft. That's a pretty damn good player to pair with Wemby tbh.

[playblair]

So much of Castle and Sochan's future hinges on their ability to hit jumpers, same goes for Wesley and Cissoko. Not super confident on Spurs' ability to help them get there though, but getting the best shooting coaches money can buy should be a top priority.

[jesterbobman]

His defense looks legit. It's just that shot man. It's tge main reason I wanted someone else. If he's able to get it though, he's a STEAL at 4.

Narrator: Seldom do they find it.

I think there were two legit concerns with him going into the draft:
1. Is he a PG / good enough to play there to be on ball. I think that looks like a yes through two games of summer league. High school tape said yes, there were possessions of on ball at UConn, but he was mostly a wing.
2. The shooting.

1 / 2 looking cleared up already is great.

[RC_Drunkford]

Castle is obviously a good shooter in practice, but struggles in games. He himself said it's mostly a confidence thing. I really hope Pop encourages him to shoot 3s when he's open to fix this. The worst thing that can happen is Pop telling him he's not allowed to take them, cause he has to play this defined "role" that he's about to give him.

[r0drig0lac]

steph looks like a pg version of Jimmy Butler

[rascal]

Hey, we won a game.

I like this a whole lot better than losing by 25 or 30

China is bad

[Seventyniner]

steph looks like a pg version of Jimmy Butler

Let's not make this a thing.

But could you imagine a player with Curry's shooting and Castle's physical tools? Fun to daydream about.

[cutewizard]

Go Spurs go........

[tmtcsc]

He’s going to be fine. I have no concerns with his shooting right now. He has abilities that aren’t easily taught & I believe he has some dawg in him. This team needs & will benefit from it.

[offset formation]

I think there were two legit concerns with him going into the draft:
1. Is he a PG / good enough to play there to be on ball. I think that looks like a yes through two games of summer league. High school tape said yes, there were possessions of on ball at UConn, but he was mostly a wing.
2. The shooting.

1 / 2 looking cleared up already is great.

Agree. I was also questioning whether or not he really had a nose for defense or if it was a fluke college thing. His two games thus far show he's legit. I knew he was a good finisher which we do not have right now at the PG spot.

So yeah, just the shooting. Hopefully CP3 teaches him some stuff so his midrange becomes deadly. You get a solid finisher playing good D, with a solid midrange game and that's all I could ever ask for. 3 pt shooting would be cherry on top. We might have lucked out with this kid. One other thing I was completely oblivious to in his game is his heart. He's got a nasty streak and I bet pop lived that. CP3 will serve to hone that even further and make him into a dog. Win-win.

I just hope he finds a *consistent* shot. If so I'll gladly eat my crow on suggesting we not take him at 4 because he'd probably have been gone by 8.