Breaking SGA's dangerous habit makes winning West Finals much easier for Spurs

The Spurs are about to begin their first encounter with the most foul-baiting-est basketball player on planet Earth, and reducing his trips to the free-throw line will be paramount in this series. San Antonio is equipped to do it, but their patience will be tested. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a master of his craft. He knows how to play angles and take advantage of bad positioning. Things will be different for him, too, though.

The Silver and Black have plenty of defenders to cycle through to put in front of SGA to vary the looks, and they're all heady players with great coaching to support them. Mitch Johnson will emphasize the need to stay disciplined by showing their hands so the referees can't be fooled by cheap tricks. Stephon Castle will be the most important part of that effort.

Castle is the Spurs' most important player not named Wembanyama

During the Timberwolves series, Mitch Johnson told the media his expectations for his second-year playmaker. He wants Castle to remain aggressive and, in doing so, anticipates that Steph will end most games with four or five fouls. The mindset is a necessary one. Most of the top initiators in the league are big guards or wings who play physically. You must match them in kind.

The 2024-25 Rookie of the Year has the strength and mentality to do just that. Jeremy Sochan used to be the man who San Antonio relied on to guard every team's best perimeter player. That's Castle's job now. That role also comes with the risk of foul trouble, but the Spurs can't afford to put Steph on the bench early too many times. He does too many other important things.

Steph was the leading assist man on the team during the regular season, and that trend has continued into the postseason. He's also averaging 19.9 points per game—the second-highest on the team. While there's only one alien on the roster, the younger half of Area 51 is proving himself to be, at the very least, abnormal.

Castle's evolution changed Spurs' ceiling overnight

His rapid improvement as a playmaker and shooter in such a short time has been remarkable. Castle shot 28.5% from three as a rookie. That number is up to 44% in the postseason, and he's putting up 4.5 attempts per game. That's a significant volume for someone who attacks the paint as he does. He's relentless and ferocious.

His versatility is one of San Antonio's most important weapons, so they need him to be able to be all of himself for as much of this series as possible. He'll get steals and blocks, switch defenders, throw lobs, posterize you, and drain shots in his opponents' faces. Having that many skills in one person is one hell of an advantage.

The challenge against Gilgeous-Alexander will be walking the line between physical and reckless because SGA thrives on defenders losing their discipline. The Spurs are uniquely built to handle that challenge with their depth of lengthy wings and guards, but Castle will still set the tone. If San Antonio can keep the Thunder star from living at the foul line, it will make winning this series much easier.

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