The Spurs’ young core is drawing some lofty comparisons, and the names being floated say plenty about how people around the league view Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle.
Victor Wembanyama has already entered the rare air of basketball’s biggest draws, with comparisons to Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Michael Jordan as one of the most marketable athletes ever. While that conversation keeps building around him, Harper and Castle are getting their own winning-oriented labels from the outside.
Stephon Castle has already established himself as the best player in the 2024 NBA Draft, while Dylan Harper passed De'Aaron Fox as the best point guard on the roster in the playoffs. San Antonio is still committed to Fox --for now--, but the sense is that a three-young-star lineup is coming sooner or later.
That’s where the comparisons to two famously unselfish, championship-minded Spurs and veterans enter the picture.
Yahoo’s Kevin O'Connor said Harper could grow into a Manu Ginobili type, with the possibility that he becomes the kind of player who comes off the bench and closes games. “I think we eventually are gonna reach that point where we're saying, 'Why is Dylan Harper not starting games?
Why is Dylan Harper not out there?'" prefaced Yahoo's Kevin O'Connor.
"And maybe he'll be a finisher. Maybe he's destined to be their Manu Ginobili, coming off the bench, playing a pivotal role, finishing games, and that's perfectly okay as long as he, as long as he accepts that."
Ginobili’s résumé makes the comparison easy to understand. At his peak, he was one of the best players in the world, and if he had been a true 1-A option, his career could have stacked up with James Harden’s.
He brought scoring, playmaking, and plenty of flair. Instead, he leaned into winning, and that path led to four titles and a first-ballot Hall of Fame nod.
O'Connor also pointed to Castle as someone who may not need to be a featured creator to matter at a high level. “I view Castle more as an Iguodala type in that he doesn't need to be a primary creator," O'Connor added.
"It's a bonus when he has those nights where he just can't stop making shots. But I don't think you're gonna expect that every night from Stephon Castle.
But if he does become that, again, it's another path, another guy who can become that type of player for San Antonio that just takes them to a whole new level with Harper and Castle."
Andre Iguodala averaged 18.5 points from 2006-10 and was one of the league’s best defenders, but he’s best remembered for his role in the Golden State Warriors’ dynasty, where he won four rings in a smaller bench role.
It’s difficult to picture Castle ending up on the second unit, but the bigger point is clear: his value could be felt most when the games get tight. That’s the kind of contribution Iguodala built a reputation on, just as Ginobili did with his willingness to embrace whatever role helped the Spurs win.
And with Wembanyama already in place, San Antonio has the kind of transcendent centerpiece that can make all of it work.
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