Spurs are about to find out if Stephon Castle is ready for his next big leap

The Spurs will face the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets during opening week, two teams that look primed to dominate on the defensive end. Their ball pressure will be the perfect early-season challenge for Stephon Castle, whose goal this season is to continue to polish his offensive game.

Mitch Johnson trusted Stephon Castle with some heavy ball-handling duties last season, and he actually did well. He orchestrated one of the NBA's best offenses, leading San Antonio in assists while forming a perfect two-man game with Victor Wembanyama. He also progressed as a scorer, seeing a noticeable leap in points per game from his rookie year.

But he still has some areas to grow as San Antonio's lead combo guard. The Spurs' first two games of the season will give him a perfect opportunity to showcase his evolution.

The Rockets and Thunder will put Castle's ball-handling to the test

The Thunder and Rockets are bringing a deep rotation of perimeter defenders into next season. OKC has Cason Wallace, Jalen Williams, and Ajay Mitchell, while Houston has Amen Thompson, Marcus Smart, Tari Eason, and Fred VanVleet. Both groups can pressure opposing ball-handlers at a high level.

The point of having aggressive defenders like this is to speed up opponents and force them to make quick decisions. Stephon Castle struggled with that during the playoffs, committing several untimely turnovers, whether they were errant passes or offensive fouls.

These matchups against Houston and OKC will be a perfect checkpoint to see how much better he is when handling tight ball pressure. Mastering this will be crucial for the Spurs come playoff time, so he must take every opportunity in the regular season to perfect it.

Castle will also be able to showcase his improved scoring attack

Stephon Castle was solid as a scorer last season, averaging 16.7 points per game on 47% shooting. It translated well into the playoffs, where he posted 18.2 points on 48% shooting. But, like his playmaking, he still has room to grow as a shot creator.

During opening week, we'll get a taste of how much Castle has progressed as a one-on-one scorer this season. OKC and Houston's defenders won't let him get to the rim as easily, so he must be able to break them down off the dribble and rely on his jumper a bit more.

He's already shown flashes of being a solid shot creator. Last season, he had a good mid-range attack and also grew as a three-point shooter. Now it's time for those elements to become defining aspects of his game.

Stephon Castle is on the verge of turning into the Spurs' next All-NBA guard. Another monumental offensive leap could get him there next season, and his opening-week challenges will give us a glimpse into how far he's come.

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