Stephon Castle is heading into a season that could change the way the league sees him.
The Spurs already have plenty to like about what’s coming next, and Castle sits near the top of that list. His second season brought a real jump from deep, especially after a rough start. He settled in after the All-Star break, then carried that touch into the playoffs, where he knocked down 35% of his shots from beyond the arc.
That progress matters, but it’s only the beginning. The next step is proving that the three-ball isn’t just a hot stretch - it’s a real part of his game over the course of an 82-game season, and at a higher volume. For Castle to make the leap into All-Star territory, he has to become a shooter defenses can’t ignore.
That need lines up with a broader issue for San Antonio. Even with one of the league’s better offenses last season, the Spurs were only middling from three, finishing 15th in accuracy and 18th in the share of their points that came from long range. More reliable shooting from Castle could help push that attack to another level.
The most important piece is what he does off the dribble. In the playoffs, some defenses backed off when Castle had the ball, inviting him to fire.
He made them pay at times, but that has to become a steady part of his offensive package. If he can consistently hit threes on the move, it changes how teams guard him in pick-and-roll action.
There’s also value in him becoming a dependable catch-and-shoot option all season. That kind of threat would stretch the floor for San Antonio’s backcourt and make things easier for Dylan Harper and De’Aaron Fox when they attack the rim.
Castle is already bringing a lot to the table. He’s a strong point-of-attack defender, a powerful downhill driver, and a real playmaker. If the outside shot becomes dependable too, he starts to look like one of the league’s most complete players.
He’s close. The playoff flashes were real, and now the challenge is turning them into something he can deliver night after night.
For the Spurs, that kind of growth doesn’t just help Castle - it makes the entire offense harder to handle. And for a team that “tasted the NBA Finals, and they're hungry for more,” that matters.
In Other News...
Spurs Fans May Have Finally Found The Rookie They Wanted
San Antonios first-round addition is drawing attention for all the right reasons, and not because he is arriving with a scoring-heavy reputation. Tarris Reed Jr. sounds ready to lean into the kind of role Spurs fans have long appreciated from their big men: defend, rebound, set hard screens and bring a physical edge every time he steps on the floor. In his first comments, Reed made clear he is comfortable doing the dirty work and letting effort, toughness and consistency define his early place in the rotation.
There is also a certain Spurs-specific appeal in the way Reed talks about the job ahead, with respect for the franchises standard and a willingness to earn everything that comes next. He has already begun taking in the culture around him, and the next part of the adjustment will be turning that mindset into real minutes and real impact. For a team that values discipline and detail, Reeds approach gives them a rookie who sounds built for the unglamorous parts of winning. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Are Waiting For Carter Bryant To Show Something Bigger
After his rookie season, Carter Bryant came back to the Spurs Summer League group with a chance to do more than just get extra reps. San Antonio wants him using this stretch to grow into a steadier presence, and coach Corliss Williamson has been clear that the next step is not only about talent, but about becoming more vocal and more reliable as the game speeds up around him.
Bryants development is still being treated as a longer-term project, even as the Spurs expect his role to expand next season. For now, the focus is on sharpening the parts of his game that can help him command more trust, especially in live action where decision-making and tone-setting matter as much as the shots he takes. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs May Have Finally Found The Young Big They Were Missing
The Spurs spent part of the offseason trying to patch a center rotation that left too much to be desired a year ago, and rookie Tarris Reed Jr. is quickly becoming the most interesting part of that effort. He is in Summer League now, but the organizations decision to trade up for him on draft night says plenty about how strongly it views his chances to help, especially as a physical interior presence who can set screens, clean the glass and give the offense a more traditional big-man option.
For San Antonio, the appeal is not just that Reed fits a need, but that he may fit it early. The Spurs have been searching for size they can trust behind their core, and Reeds path to real minutes could be clearer than most rookies if he keeps showing the same kind of steady, blue-collar value in Las Vegas. There is still another young big in the mix, but his situation adds a layer of uncertainty the Spurs would rather not have to lean on right away. [Read more 🡒]