Stephon Castle could make or break the Spurs' dream starting five

The San Antonio Spurs may arguably be the team to beat entering this season, but they still need Stephon Castle to help unlock their dream lineup. Castle was San Antonio's second-best player last season, but they will need him to be even better, specifically as a shooter, to help the team reach its full potential.

The Spurs' four best players include the point guard trio of De'Aaron Fox, Castle, and Dylan Harper, as well as Victor Wembanyama. However, San Antonio playing all four at once has been a rarity, but that's been primarily due to a lack of spacing.

Of course, if Castle can further develop as a shooter, then the team's dream of starting the guard trio along with Julian Champagnie or Tobias Harris and Wembanyama together could actually become a reality.

Castle's 3-point shooting may unlock dream starting 5

That should be the ultimate goal for the Spurs this season but will be decided by the amount of spacing the lineup can provide around Wembanyama.

Fox and Harper were below-average shooters last season, though Castle made strides during the second half of last year and even shot 35% from three during the playoffs. With more fine-tuning, he could emerge as a reliable shooter this season.

That could be bad news for the rest of the NBA and possibly pave the way for the Spurs to start Fox, Harper, and Castle. That would provide the Silver and Black with a wealth of ball-handling, playmaking, and players who can attack the basket.

They'd also have just enough spacing to keep defenses honest, especially with Champagnie, Harris, or Devin Vassell, and Wembanyama playing alongside them.

Starting Fox, Castle, and Harper together is the dream

San Antonio has been working towards starting the point guard trio since they learned they would be able to draft Harper. We've only gotten glimpses of that trio playing together, but it offers a tantalizing blend of slashing, playmaking, and defense.

Still, for that lineup to be possible, Castle is the key. He's the tallest of the three players and the most natural fit to play small forward. His shooting also appears to be increasingly consistent, which could help the Spurs unlock their dream lineup.

Hopefully, he will be able to reliably knock down threes. In doing so, San Antonio could both start and close games with Fox, Harper, and Castle. That may be the last remaining piece of the Spurs' championship puzzle, with Castle playing a key role.

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