Stephon Castle is already carving out a place in the Spurs’ future, and by this point in his career he’s ahead of where Kawhi Leonard was when Leonard was still in San Antonio.
That doesn’t erase what Leonard became, or how good he was early on for the Spurs. But if you line up the two players at the same stage, Castle has the edge on offense, and that’s the separator. Leonard was the better defender, but his offensive game didn’t really take off until year four, then exploded in year five.
Part of that was circumstance. The Spurs still had Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Tim Duncan, so Leonard simply didn’t get the same kind of offensive runway. He spent those early years grinding through a fourth-string role, and to his credit, he turned that time into real progress as a shooter, ballhandler, and overall player.
Castle has gotten to a different place much sooner. He has been more advanced as a scorer and a passer, and he’s been asked to do more with the ball in his hands. Last season, he was essentially the team’s point guard and even led the Spurs in assists per game.
This season, his assist numbers have dipped because San Antonio has him sharing the floor with De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper. But that setup has also helped him sharpen another part of his game. He’s hitting 36.6% from three on 8.2 attempts per game, which has given his scoring profile a real boost.
Through the early part of the 2026-27 season, Castle is averaging 17.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.4 steals. Leonard, by comparison, was at 12.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.7 steals to open his third season.
Castle still has plenty of basketball left this season, so nothing is locked in yet. But right now, he looks like the more complete offensive player when you stack his second season against Leonard’s.
If he keeps shooting above league average on that kind of volume, Castle could be on a fast track to stardom by his third season. Leonard, meanwhile, didn’t make an All-Star team until his fifth year in the league.
That doesn’t mean Castle and Leonard are headed down the same exact road. They’re different players, and the comparison only goes so far.
Leonard was more of an off-ball weapon early, with defense as his calling card until his role expanded in year five. Castle entered the league with more responsibility from the start, and he’s already benefited from being used on and off the ball.
The upside is obvious. Castle could grow into an elite two-way wing who scores, shoots, passes, and defends. At this stage, he’s tracking along a path that looks at least comparable to Leonard’s - and maybe even a little ahead of it.
In Other News...
Dylan Harper Is Giving Spurs Fans A New 2025 Draft Argument
Dylan Harper is already forcing a different kind of conversation around the Spurs 2025 draft class. The second pick in that draft is opening his sophomore season as a starter and logging more than 30 minutes a night, a sign that San Antonio is trusting him with a heavy role far earlier than most young guards get in this league.
Harpers rise also gives Spurs fans a fresh way to measure the draft against the top selection, Cooper Flagg. Flagg may still carry the bigger national spotlight, but Harpers path is tied directly to a team with real championship ambitions and a playoff runway that could make his impact feel immediate. For a Spurs team chasing bigger goals this season, that kind of development is exactly why his early stretch matters so much. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Winning Streak Faces A Big Question Before Timberwolves Test
The Spurs head into their matchup with Minnesota trying to keep a winning streak rolling, but the injury report has added a layer of uncertainty to a game that already carries some weight. Stephon Castle is listed as questionable because of a migraine, a notable wrinkle for a San Antonio group that has been leaning into its momentum and will want as much continuity as possible against a Western Conference opponent.
Minnesota has its own issues, with Rudy Gobert questionable because of back spasms and Anthony Edwards still sidelined by a right knee injury. Even with the Timberwolves shorthanded, this is the kind of test that can still tell a lot about where San Antonio stands, especially if the Spurs have to navigate it without one of their young pieces in Castle. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyamas DPOY Path Just Got A Lot Clearer For Spurs Fans
Victor Wembanyamas defensive case is already looking sturdy, and the early numbers only sharpen it. Through five games, he is averaging 3.8 blocks per game, matching his career-best, while the Spurs have been far better on that end of the floor when he is on it. For a team trying to build real momentum, that kind of impact is hard to ignore, especially when it shows up so quickly and so consistently.
Chet Holmgrens expected absence for 8-10 weeks could also reshape the race for end-of-season honors, removing one of the leagues top defensive challengers from the conversation for a stretch. With San Antonios defense projected to keep improving, Wembanyama suddenly has a clearer path to a second straight Defensive Player of the Year award, even if the season is still young and the standings are far from settled. [Read more 🡒]