Steph Curry's injury just handed the NBA a Stephon Castle-sized opportunity

Stephon Castle didn't make the cut for the All-Star Games this year when the rosters were first revealed, but that can all change now. Steph Curry, a mainstay of the NBA's yearly February fest, has been ruled out due to a knee injury. He's been selected to 12 of them, so it'll be okay if he misses one. It'll allow Adam Silver to do what he should have done already and put the other Steph in.

It would be the perfect cap to what has to feel like a hell of a ride. The reigning Rookie of the Year just had one of the nights in NBA history, especially for a player his age. It doesn't get much better than 40-12-12 on over 70% shooting with a few steals to go with it.

That's what some of these other guys miss, and I'm tired of defense being tossed aside like a pair of old drawls. Castle always has his hands in the cookie jar. Just ask Cooper Flagg. It's a huge asset to this team, and his overall play is a huge reason why this team has the second seed in the West.

The NBA must reward winning

There are a lot of stars on this side of the league. The Western Conference is absolutely stacked, so I didn't make a peep when the ex-UConn star didn't get selected to the group. But once guys started pulling out, and the NBA started putting in guys like Chet Holmgren and Alperen Sengun, I started to get a little irritated.

Sengun is having a fine season, putting up 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists, but I just don't buy it. There's something about his game that disturbs me. He flops around like a fish out of water, throwing his body recklessly, and somehow the ball goes in the basket, but it's not aesthetically pleasing to my eyes.

I know that a lack of style points doesn't necessarily stop you from getting in the All-Star Game. If that were the case, Tim Duncan, aka Mr. Fundamental, wouldn't have made it 87 times, especially as he aged. His game surely wasn't built on flash. But it also wasn't ugly. Sengun's game is ugly.

Don't even get me started on Chet. The way Victor Wembanyama bullies him, he shouldn't be allowed to represent his team.

Am I being petty? Of course. But that doesn't change the fact that Castle has been playing star-level basketball. He's been clutch this season, and he defends the best perimeter guys when the ball goes up in the air. Over the last five games, he's averaging 22/8/7 on 60% FG and 39% 3PT. The timing is just right. So do the right thing, NBA.

PS. Austin Reaves would have a strong argument had he played more than 28 games this season. He's just disqualified.