Spurs aren't going anywhere without the next Stephon Castle jump

For a team that came up short in the NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs have made only minimal changes to their roster. That suggests that they are banking on internal improvement from their young core, specifically Stephon Castle.

Castle could very well be in for an All-Star season if he builds on his impressive showing during his sophomore year. He made big strides as a shooter, improved as a defender, and demonstrated that he could be a lead playmaker after leading the team in assists.

Building upon those skills and combining them with his elite ability to get to the basket as well as draw free throws could lead to a breakout season. San Antonio certainly hopes so, with them counting on him playing an even bigger role this year.

The Spurs need Stephon Castle to make an all-star leap

Castle, despite being the second-best player on a 60-win team, only averaged 16.7 points per game. He clearly has another level to reach offensively and could very well do so this season.

Still, he may have to switch up his role by sharing the ball more with De'Aaron Fox, but his offseason work to improve his shooting could make that possible. Castle held up surprisingly well in the playoffs when teams dared him to shoot.

In fact, he shot a more than respectable 35.0 percent on 4.3 three-point attempts per game in the postseason. If that can carry over to this season, then he could have all he needs to make the jump to stardom. That would give San Antonio potentially three All-Stars this season with Fox, Wembanyama, and Castle.

Castle emerging as San Antonio's third star would help to diversify their offensive attack.

Having a third star will only make the Spurs more dangerous

Teams were initially able to load up on Wembanyama last season and sag off Castle when he didn't have the ball.

Coach Mitch Johnson solved some of those issues by having Castle play point guard and run pick-and-roll with Wembanyama. That forced teams to guard him, while his terrific passing resulted in Wembanyama getting plenty of easy baskets.

Castle becoming more of a scorer could further take attention off Wembanyama and possibly even Fox. In many ways, that trio could be similarly impactful to the Hall of Fame Big 3 of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker, but hopefully more potent.

The big difference is that this trio could combine to average at least 65 points per game, far more than the Big 3 at their best. Castle is crucial to that, with him having untapped offensive potential while also providing defensive impact.

He's often tasked with shutting down the other team's best player. Hopefully, he'll improve enough to draw the other team's best defensive perimeter player. That would be a sign that he has taken the next step, something the Spurs need to win a championship.

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