NBA analyst says what all Spurs fans already know about Stephon Castle

After going undefeated in February, the San Antonio Spurs are officially the hottest team in the NBA. During that span, guard Stephon Castle has put up strong numbers. That helped to propel the Spurs to their longest win streak in a decade, even as their biggest flaw was still front and center.

During their win streak, Stephon Castle's 3-point shooting was a rollercoaster, prompting Michael Pina of The Ringer to make an insightful observation. Pina points out that, despite his inconsistent shooting, Castle is finding ways to make a big impact, proving that he has star potential.

To Pina's point, Castle is averaging a solid 16.5 points per game on decent true shooting despite connecting on just 29.1% of his threes.

Stephon Castle is finding ways to help the Spurs win games

Part of his offensive success has been his ability to get to the free throw line. He leads all second-year players by a wide margin with 5.8 free throw attempts per game.

He also ranks second on the Spurs, behind only Victor Wembanyama, in free-throw attempts per game. He could stand to be better from the line, connecting on just 72.5% of his three-point attempts. Fortunately, him getting plenty of easy points from the line has been crucial to helping his efficiency.

That doesn't mean he hasn't progressed as a shooter; he has. However, his progress hasn't been linear. While he is shooting just 29.1% from three, over his last 10 games he is connecting on 36% of his threes on 2.5 attempts per game.

More interestingly, he's shooting 46.3% on midrange jumpers this season on decent volume. That suggests that he should be focusing more on scoring inside the arc.

Attacking the paint and finishing at the rim, drawing free throws, hitting middies, and shooting open threes seem like the ideal shot diet for Castle.

Stephon Castle continues to will the Spurs to wins

He's currently averaging 4.5 three-point attempts per game. And while taking a lot of three-pointers can be a good thing, it has hurt his efficiency.

Particularly with Castle shooting an impressive 54.1% on two-pointers this season. Scoring is only one part of his value to the team, however.

Castle is usually tasked with guarding the other team's best player and has done a terrific job shutting them down. His playmaking has also taken a huge leap forward.

He's clearly the best lob thrower on the team and has gotten both Wembanyama and Luke Kornet plenty of easy baskets this season. Castle proving that he can be a lead ballhandler, in addition to a reliable scorer, only proves Pina right.

Stephon Castle impacts all facets of the game

That's all well and good, but I'd argue that his best attribute has been defense. Having a defensive pitbull who coach Mitch Johnson can sic on a top scorer regardless of size has helped San Antonio to a top 3 defense.

He's second only to Wembanyama in terms of defensive importance to the Spurs and has a strong case to make first-team all-defense.

All told, his defensive impact, combined with his passing and knack for attacking the paint, is a huge reason why the Spurs are winning games this season. It's also what makes Castle a game-changer for the Silver and Black.