The Spurs are about to unlock the best part of Stephon Castle's game

HoopsHype just put out a shooting guard ranking and placed Stephon Castle number six on their list. That's not a bad spot. We can argue over whether he's high enough or not, with guys like Austin Reaves and Amen Thompson ahead of him, but overall, it's a pretty damn good spot for someone heading into their third year.

The question is, how does he reach the next level? Castle can make his top-five or even top-three shooting guard status fairly inarguable with a few improvements. And if HoopsHype is right about Steph playing off the ball more this season, fate is aligning for the ex-UConn champion to take that step.

Stephon Castle has grown a ton as a playmaker

Castle played point guard in high school, but he was off the ball more in college. He thrived in that position, but when he was going through the draft process, the explosive dynamo was adamant about his abilities as a floor general. Turns out he was right.

He handled the ball a lot as the rookie, with Chris Paul there to guide him in the pro game. He learned a lot because in his second season, his assist number skyrocketed to over seven a night. That was good for 10th in the league, but it didn't come without some headaches.

Steph's turnovers are one of his only two real issues. He averaged over three per game last season. The other issue is his shooting inconsistency, but like his playmaking, it's getting better. Playing off the ball could help with both.

Castle makes the jump into the top five by taking advantage of the Spurs' depth

The Georgia-born guard may have run the offense for the past two seasons, but De'Aaron Fox is still the veteran. He played well enough off the ball, but he'll be more in his element as the lead ball handler. It was sensible for Mitch Johnson to stick with Castle last year because Fox didn't get a real offseason with the team.

Things are different this time.

Fox has already put time in, training with the guys this summer. He'll also get a full training camp if everything stays on track. If Coach Johnson opts to put the ball in Swipa's hands, Castle gets back to the role he was in when he helped his college squad win a title.

That doesn't have to stop when Dylan Harper gets in the game either. The 2025 second overall pick is a phenomenal scorer already, but he could stand to work on his facilitating. It'd be on brand for the Spurs to put the ball in his hands more this season, not just because he's elite at getting buckets, but because it would help his development as a playmaker.

Steph has already been in the gym working on his shooting. He can make teams by showcasing an improved catch-and-shoot ability in an off-ball role. That also puts him in a position to use his otherworldly athleticism to pressure the paint once teams start respecting his shot and closing out too hard.

If defenders are biting on his pump fakes and he can charge the rim with little resistance, it puts the entire defensive scheme in a bind. They'll have to scramble to cut him off, and with his improve passing, the Spurs would have another unguardable weapon.

Combine that with his elite perimeter defense, and that sounds like a top-five shooting guard to me.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow