Stephon Castle has quietly become the best player in his draft and it’s not close

Stephon Castle is one of the biggest reasons that San Antonio has been so successful this year. Critics love to take aim at his outside shooting, but he's so much more than that. The player he's already become is miles ahead of the others in his draft class. This isn't intended to be a shot at those young players, either. Steph has just been that good.

Castle has separated himself from the crowd

In his second season, the reigning Rookie of the Year is averaging 18 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, and 1 steal per game. Only one sophomore is putting up more points, and fans will see him tonight when the Wizards hit the floor at the Frost Bank Center. Alex Sarr posts 19 a night.

The 2024 overall pick is having a solid season, but his 52% field goal percentage only highlights how special it is that Steph is scoring on 51%. It doesn't stop there for Castle. He's leading all second-year players in assists, and he's the best perimeter defender by a mile.

There are some good ones, too. Jaylen Wells, Zach Edey, and Ajay Mitchell come to mind, but only one of those guys guards MVP-level players on a nightly basis and holds his own. The former UConn star went man-to-man with Jalen Brunson and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Those guys are the best the NBA has to offer, and Castle made their lives hell.

He's still working on eliminating needless turnovers, but he does so many things well; those missteps haven't really hurt the Spurs too much. They've been better for putting the ball in his hands, and once his shot settles in, he'll be an unbelievable terror to deal with. That's the next part I want to address here.

The Spurs are geniuses for letting Castle run the offense

De'Aaron Fox wasn't ready to go at the start of the season, so nobody was surprised to see the younger half of Area 51 running the offense. When their explosive floor general returned, Castle kept the reins, and that's when the confusion came in. Fans were baffled at San Antonio's decision to let the younger guy run things with a player as skilled as Fox on the floor. But it makes perfect sense.

This isn't the Jeremy Sochan point guard experiment. Steph has plenty of experience with the ball in his hands, going back to his days in high school. He just needs to keep refining his skills as a playmaker. Being ahead of the curve allows him to learn while being more effective than most, contributing to wins on a contender.

When the rubber really meets the road, they have Fox right there to take over, but the former Sacramento star is versatile enough to do it all. If they can keep developing their uber-talented, young guards and challenge the top of the Western Conference at the same time, that's a major win that will only pay off down the line. It's the right way to go.