Stephon Castle just proved his biggest flaw is his ticket stardom

After coming off the bench for the first time this season recently, Spurs fans got a glimpse of how the starting five looks without Stephon Castle. There is definitely more spacing, and it's notable that he's either come off the bench or missed the three highest-scoring games this season.

Obviously Castle is important to the Spurs. Just ask the Dallas Mavericks after his historic 40-point, 12-rebound, and 12-assist performance.

His ability to attack the basket, create for others, and defend are crucial, but the team's offense has been better at times without him. Spacing is likely the reason for this.

I'm not exactly breaking news here, but Castle is a terrible 3-point shooter. Be honest, how many of us are surprised when he actually hits a three? I rest my case.

Seriously though, his shot remains a big question mark, but there are actually some encouraging signs that he can eventually be a serviceable one.

Stephon Castle's shooting woes may be greatly exaggerated

Castle is only connecting on 28.9% of his threes thus far but drilling 53.3% (8-15) of them over his last five games. Perhaps more intriguing, he's draining 41.2% of right corner threes.

As you might expect, it's on low volume—only 17 attempts. Despite the small sample size, it is notable that he has gone just 1 for 14 on left corner triples.

Perhaps he's more comfortable shooting from that spot, and it might be worth exploring further. Especially if and when coach Mitch Johnson puts the ball back in De'Aaron Fox's hands.

Who knows, maybe he could style his game after franchise legend Tony Parker. Parker was elite at getting to and finishing at the rim. Later he became a terrific mid-range threat and eventually a good corner 3-point shooter, especially from the left corner.

Castle excels at slashing, but his shooting is a work in progress, though less so than one might think.

Stephon Castle has a clear path to stardom with the Spurs

He's connecting on 45.2% of his mid-range jumpers—on about one attempt per game. Frankly, that's better than I was expecting but matches the eye test. He's a far better mid-range shooter than he is a 3-point shooter.

That gives him and the Spurs something to work with. Following the Parker approach, Castle must take more mid-range jumpers. Also, spotting up in the right corner when playing off-ball is a tried and true template.

Combine that with his knack for finishing at the rim as well as drawing free throws, and there's a pathway for him to be an all-star. Look, he's probably never going to be a great shooter. Fine, but having a good mid-range jumper and being a decent corner 3-point shooter could unlock Castle's full potential.