Unbelievable Stephon Castle stat proves the Spurs were right all along

There is no doubt that Stephon Castle is an untouchable, foundational member of the Spurs' core going forward. His emergence as a blossoming star has been one of the most exciting San Antonio storylines in 2025-26. However, one statistic stands out above the rest, highlighting the youngster's growth and his significance to the Silver and Black's success.

Stephon Castle is currently in the 97th percentile of all players in the NBA in assist percentage. Staggering. To put it in simpler terms, the point guard controls the Spurs' offense, with 33.4% of all made baskets in his minutes coming from his passes. If you ever doubted the UConn alum's ability to translate his passing to the NBA, now is the time to give that up.

Stephon Castle is an undeniably elite playmaker

Entering the NBA, draft analysts knew that the flashy point guard would be a top-tier dimer at the next level. Stephon Castle has pristine court vision, a high basketball IQ, and the intangibles to run plays with anyone. With his height, the point guard has an easy time finding open players and surveying the court for the next pass.

Castle has demonstrated all of these skills every night. In possessions where he is taking the ball up the court, he is quick to get the offense into motion and dominates when kicking out after a strong drive. When the versatile playmaker is off the ball, he displays his keen sense of knowing where players are and should be.

The young playmaker has immediately established an impenetrable rapport with the team's top players. Most importantly, he has built a strong connection with Victor Wembanyama, connecting with the Frenchman in countless pick-and-rolls.

Mitch Johnson was right to put his trust into Castle

The UConn product, who is only in his second year in the league, has taken on a significant workload. Beginning his rookie season, the point guard received the go-ahead later in the campaign, allowing him to fully explore his potential. Ever since then, Stephon Castle has been in go mode.

The success of Stephon Castle so far is in large part due to Head Coach Mitch Johnson. The lead man has given the youngster the ability to spread his wings and operate the offense his own way. Most head coaches won't allow this type of freedom for a rookie or sophomore player. In the end, it turned out that this luxury has been his biggest benefit.

Now, midway through the season, Castle is co-starring as the primary playmaker in San Antonio. He and his Spurs have battled their way to the two-seed in a difficult Western Conference and looked primed to make a run in the postseason. The story is a lesson for other head coaches: sometimes you need to take a leap of faith with your rookies; it can pay off in a big way.