Calling for Stephon Castle to fix his jumper can miss the bigger picture.
Yes, the shot matters. Castle is a career 30.5 percent 3-point shooter, and that number is the reason so many people keep circling back to the same point: if he ever gets his outside shot up to around 38 percent, the ceiling changes fast. That’s the cleanest path from very good to truly special.
But Castle is already bringing plenty to the table. He’s one of the more complete players in the league, and at this stage he’s already the third-best player on an NBA title frontrunner. The idea that he has to become a completely different offensive player before he matters doesn’t really hold up.
What he already does well is valuable. Castle is an excellent facilitator, and he works especially well when he’s operating next to a more traditional point guard. He can create, he can defend, and he does a lot of the little things that keep a good team moving.
The Spurs also aren’t asking him to carry everything. Victor Wembanyama, De'Aaron Fox, and Dylan Harper are there to handle a heavy scoring burden.
Tobias Harris, Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, and maybe Carter Bryant can all help space the floor. With that kind of structure around him, there’s less pressure on Castle to force his own offense.
That’s why James Edwards III of The Athletic framed it this way: "Castle needs to grow offensively, specifically as a shooter and when creating for himself, but very few defend as he does at the point of attack," wrote The Athletic's James Edwards III. "His offense is clearly good enough as is for him to be a key piece on a team competing for a championship."
That doesn’t mean the Spurs should be satisfied if Castle never adds another layer. They wouldn’t be wrong to want more. But even without a major offensive leap, he’s already shown enough to profile as a starter on a championship-caliber team.
The floor here is strong. An elite defender and above-average offensive player is a pretty good place to land.
And because so much of his value is tied to potential right now, there would be reason for disappointment if his game stopped growing. Still, even in that scenario, San Antonio would keep winning.
In Other News...
Dylan Harper Just Shifted The Spurs Debate Around Mitch Johnson
Dylan Harper has already found himself pulled into one of the Spurs biggest talking points, and it says something about the moment in San Antonio that a young player is being asked to weigh in on the coach. In an interview with Brandon Robinson, Harper backed Mitch Johnson and pushed back against the criticism that has followed the teams NBA Finals loss, offering a view from inside the locker room that sounded less like hot-take theater and more like a player watching the process up close.
Harper did not pretend the Finals were handled perfectly, but he put Johnsons missteps in the context of a first-year head coach learning on the fly. The bigger message was his belief in the direction of the program and the way Johnson has handled development, which makes the whole conversation feel bigger than one postseason. For the Spurs, the interesting part may be how closely Harpers own early-career path mirrors Johnsons, with both trying to grow through the pressure rather than be defined by it. [Read more 🡒]
Tobias Harris Could Fix A Spurs Problem That Ruined Big Moments
Tobias Harris arrives in San Antonio with a skill set the Spurs have been missing at times, especially in the half court. He does not need the ball in his hands to matter, and his blend of steady scoring and careful decision-making gives the roster another reliable option when possessions start to get tight. For a team that has long valued efficient offense and smart play, that matters as much as any splashy addition.
The appeal is not just what Harris can score, but how he does it. His low turnover rate gives the Spurs a cleaner path to maintaining possession, and that kind of stability has been a recurring issue in the biggest moments. If his style meshes the way the front office hopes, he could become one of those understated pieces who helps prevent the kind of late-game breakdowns that have haunted San Antonio before. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Rookies Already Bring One Big Hope And One Real Concern
The Spurs came out of the 2026 NBA Draft with four new names to sort through, and there is already a clear early read on the group. Jayden Quaintance, Tarris Reed Jr., Ja'Kobi Gillespie and Maliq Brown each bring a different skill set, which is part of the appeal for a team still shaping its next layer of depth around Victor Wembanyama. Defense, shooting and versatility all factor into how quickly any of them can matter, and the debut-year expectations are spread across a range rather than pinned to one outcome.
Quaintance offers the biggest upside, but his path is clouded by health, while Reed has the kind of size that could make him useful in the frontcourt mix if the Spurs need help there. Gillespie and Brown both give San Antonio options in different ways, depending on what the team needs from the back half of the rotation. It is the sort of rookie class that gives the Spurs real hope because of its variety, but it also comes with an obvious reminder that not every piece will be ready on the same timetable. [Read more 🡒]