Predicting Stephon Castle’s career ceiling and floor player comparisons

Predicting Stephon Castle's ceiling

The best-case scenario for Castle involves him being able to play point guard full-time. That would remove the need for the Spurs to trade for a point guard and solve the long-term question mark at that position. If Castle can play the one, then that likely means that he has not only shown enough shot creation but also become enough of a scoring threat.

Playing with the ball in his hands would minimize teams leaving him wide open, and even if they sag off him or go under on screens, there seems to be a decent chance that he can at least hit an open mid-range jumper. He has also shown a knack for using screens, which should help him get into the paint where his size at 6'6 can help him as a finisher.

Of course, playing alongside Wembanyama will help too, with teams likely struggling to figure out how to defend him. With Wemby playing the five and most opposing teams only playing one big man at a time, there probably won't be much rim protection if he sets a screen and pops out to the 3-point line.

Or, Wembanyama could screen off Castle's man, forcing a switch with Wembanyama being guarded by a player far shorter, which could force a double and lead to another Spurs being open. Castle almost wouldn't have to do much to be effective in that situation, but he showed that he was a good passer at UConn and even has a knack for feeding big men for easy shots.

If he can do that with the Spurs, then that raises his ceiling with him being able to play point guard while also probably being able to defend one through three. That would give San Antonio a size advantage on both ends of the floor.

Even still, Castle will have to be a decent 3-point shooter for him to live up to his full potential, as would Sochan. At least one of them has to develop into a reliable outside threat to make the Castle, Vassell, Sochan, and Wembanyama lineup work. If both can, then San Antonio has arguably the best young core in the NBA. If only one can, i.e., Castle, then Sochan may be moved to the bench, or vice versa if Sochan can and Castle can't. Also, let's not discuss if both fail to become shooters.

Ultimately, Castle's ceiling is that of a big point guard who can create in the pick-and-roll as a passer and an effective finisher inside the arc. He should also be able to defend multiple positions and potentially hit open threes. That could be a valuable player, and the Spurs were smart to gamble that he might turn into that player.

Ceiling: Spurs-era Dejounte Murray