Spurs look brilliant as Castle continues to flash the perfect playoff trait

Stephon Castle just dropped his fifth career triple-double, helping to dispatch the 76ers after Victor Wembanyama went down with a rib injury in the first half. It was an impressive showing, not just because of the counting stats, but he continued to prove that he's capable of quickly moving forward after stumbling. That's a trait the Spurs will need from their lead playmaker in the playoffs.

Castle has extreme poise for his age

Two nights prior to dealing with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Paul George, San Antonio was locked into one of the best games of the NBA season with Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and the Denver Nuggets. They have the best offense in the league, and with a healthy roster, they can make you work on defense in spurts.

It was a high-level game in a rabid atmosphere, and while there was a lot of good in the reigning Rookie of the Year's performance, he also left some to be desired. Castle scored 20 points and added 9 assists, but he also had 4 turnovers and fouled out of the game. By night's end, he was a -10 in plus/minus, turning in one of his more mediocre nights overall.

The Spurs are approaching their first playoffs in a long time. Steph has been playing well, but San Antonio has also been afforded a weaker schedule down the stretch. Denver was a step up in competition, and those were the results. Now, it was only one game, but sometimes, that's the part that can be difficult to get young players to understand.

It's easy to let a bad game spiral, especially when the pressure is mounting to get things right down the stretch and your best player goes down in the first half. The former UConn champion doesn't seem to let anything affect him.

Stephon Castle's maturity will make a difference in the playoffs

Castle carries on and just puts his best foot forward. That's exactly what San Antonio needs from him because he's going to struggle at times in the postseason. It's inevitable. The shot might not show up here, his turnovers may pile up there, and he's occasionally susceptible to picking up ill-advised fouls. But no matter what, fans can trust that he'll bounce back, not allowing his missteps to define him.

He took four threes against Denver and missed them all. That number went down to two when Philly came to town, and he made one of them. The explosive floor general scored 19 efficient points, dished out 13 assists, and dropped his turnovers to 2. Castle also shot 6/6 from the free throw line, and his plus/minus came in at a +9 this time. He did still get called for 4 fouls, but nobody is perfect.

Stephon Castle continues to show why he's one of the most talented young players in the league with an immensely high ceiling. He defends, assists, scores, and rebounds. He's the classic Renaissance man every organization would love to have on their roster.

But he's on San Antonio's. That's a huge benefit heading into the postseason no matter his actual age—he has an old soul. That's more important.