The San Antonio Spurs may have hit a bit of turbulence since their Christmas Day showcase against the Thunder, but there are signs that two of their young guards-Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper-are starting to find their footing again. After a 5-6 stretch that saw the team slip slightly in the standings, head coach Mitch Johnson is seeing encouraging flashes from the duo, even if the box score doesn’t fully reflect it yet.
Let’s start with the context: Harper and Castle both came into the new year in a bit of a funk. Harper, a rookie, has been running into what many call the “rookie wall”-that midseason stretch where the grind of the NBA schedule starts to wear on first-year players.
His game, while promising, has looked a bit more limited as defenders adjust and force him to counter. Castle, on the other hand, has been asked to take on more of a primary playmaking role, which has raised some eyebrows considering the presence of De’Aaron Fox, a proven floor general in his own right.
But in the Spurs’ latest win over the Milwaukee Bucks, both guards offered something that should give fans-and the coaching staff-reason to exhale. They didn’t light up the scoreboard, but they impacted the game in other meaningful ways.
Harper finished with 13 points and five assists despite going 0-for-5 from beyond the arc. Castle notched a double-double, leaning into his playmaking and decision-making rather than forcing the issue as a scorer.
That’s exactly what Johnson wanted to see.
“I thought he and Steph specifically did a really good job tonight of keeping their dribble,” Johnson said postgame. “They’ve been picking up their gathers a little early at times, which I think has put them in a bad spot where they get caught in the air... I thought they did a really good job of playing off two and keeping their dribble alive.”
It’s a subtle thing, but it matters. Young guards often struggle with pace and timing-when to drive, when to pull up, when to pass.
What Johnson is highlighting here is the ability to keep the dribble alive and make plays with patience and purpose. That’s how you create high-quality looks for teammates.
That’s how you run an NBA offense.
Even though the shots aren’t falling yet, the foundation is being laid. Both players are showing that they can contribute even when their shooting isn’t there-by creating for others, by keeping the ball moving, and by making smart reads. That’s a big deal for a Spurs team that’s still figuring out its long-term core.
If either Castle or Harper can evolve into a league-average shooter from deep-roughly 36%-it could unlock a whole new level of offensive versatility. Right now, they’re showing they can impact the game in more ways than one. And for young guards in a development-focused system like San Antonio’s, that’s exactly the kind of progress you want to see.
The Spurs may be navigating a bit of a midseason lull, but with Castle and Harper starting to adjust and adapt, there’s reason to believe better basketball is on the horizon.