The San Antonio Spurs have not done much to shake up a roster that fell short in the NBA Finals, and that tells you exactly where their confidence lies: internal growth. More specifically, they are counting on Stephon Castle to take the kind of leap that changes everything.
Castle already showed plenty in his sophomore season. He sharpened his shooting, took another step defensively, and proved he can run an offense after finishing as the team’s assist leader.
Put that together with his elite ability to get downhill and draw fouls, and the path to a breakout year is easy to see. San Antonio clearly expects him to shoulder a bigger load.
That expectation comes with a pretty obvious challenge. Even as the second-best player on a 60-win team, Castle averaged just 16.7 points per game. That number leaves room for much more, and the Spurs need him to find it.
The offensive fit may shift a bit now that De'Aaron Fox is in the mix, which means Castle may have to share the ball more than before. But there are signs he is ready for that adjustment.
He spent the offseason working on his shot, and the playoffs offered a useful test run. When teams left him open, he did not fold.
Castle shot more than 35.0 percent on 4.3 three-point attempts per game in the postseason, a strong enough mark to suggest real progress if it holds up. If that shooting carries into this season, he gives San Antonio a far more dangerous version of itself - one that could feature three All-Stars in Fox, Wembanyama, and Castle.
That kind of balance would matter. Last season, opponents could load up on Wembanyama and live with Castle when he was away from the ball. Coach Mitch Johnson started to fix that by putting Castle at point guard and letting him work pick-and-roll with Wembanyama, which forced defenses to respect him and opened up easy looks for Wembanyama.
If Castle becomes more of a scoring threat, that pressure only increases. It could pull attention away from both Wembanyama and Fox, giving the Spurs a much more varied attack. The comparison to the Hall of Fame trio of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker is there, though the hope is that this version brings even more firepower.
The big difference is simple: this group could average at least 65 points per game. Castle is a central part of making that happen, because his offensive ceiling is still there and his defense already gives San Antonio real value.
He is usually the one assigned to the other team’s best player. The next step is making opponents treat him like a star on the perimeter, too. If that happens, it will be a clear sign Castle has arrived - and exactly the kind of jump the Spurs need if they want to win a championship.
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Vassell's value is not just in what he creates for himself, either. He averaged 13.9 points and 2.5 made threes per game in the 2025-26 season, and his efficient shooting helped keep him in a prominent offensive lane. For a Spurs team trying to balance talent, spacing and roles in the same backcourt, that makes Vassell one of the more important pieces to preserve as the conversation around the lineup continues. [Read more 🡒]