Stephon Castle further proves Spurs are on a different level

It's becoming painfully obvious that San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle is the heart and soul of this team. His toughness and grit have become infectious as the Spurs reel off win after win.

It isn't always pretty, but they have gotten the job done this season, with Castle playing a big role. His tenacity on both ends of the floor has set the tone for the young Spurs, who weathered an early storm this season with injuries to several of their best players.

Now, they are fully healthy and on a six-game win streak heading into the All-Star break. Speaking of getting healthy, during the Spurs' resounding win against the Los Angeles Lakers, Castle took a hard fall that forced him to miss the rest of that game.

However, less than 24 hours later, he was back playing against the Golden State Warriors in a game that many expected San Antonio to win handily. Of course, the Warriors put up much more of a fight than expected, and San Antonio was nearly upset.

He could have easily sat that game out and used the night off as well as the 8-day All-Star break layoff to get healthy. Fortunately, Castle is built differently.

Stephon Castle further proves the Spurs are on a different level

As ESPN's Anthony Slater points out, Castle playing the night after his hard fall proves the Spurs are taking the regular season more seriously than other teams. Recently, San Antonio faced several teams who opted to sit many of their best players.

The Oklahoma City Thunder, Lakers, and Warriors sat several key players, some due to legit injuries, to be fair, while others were for rest. That gave the Silver and Black three relatively easy wins against conference rivals.

To this team's credit, they showed up ready to play and haven't had "rest games" like that all season. That makes a big difference with them having the third-best record in the NBA, just two losses behind the Thunder for the best in the West.

Castle's grit and toughness has rubbed off on his teammates

Having home court would be huge for San Antonio, and they could have it for at least two rounds, possibly three. This team doesn't have much in the way of playoff experience, with just three of their 10 rotation players having even played in the postseason. Castle included.

To their and his credit, the Spurs were able to cut their teeth in the NBA Cup playoffs. I know, I know, not the same thing, but it was single elimination, and there were definitely big stakes that could help this team when the postseason lights hit.

No, Castle might not have playoff experience, but he has already won an NCAA National Championship, making him a young O.G. of sorts. The Spurs are going to need their young players to step up when it matters most, and he'd seem like a safe bet to show up.

That has already rubbed off on the rest of the team, who are taking the regular season seriously in hopes that it will lead to postseason success. Let's hope that is the case and that Castle will continue to lead the charge.