LAS VEGAS — Stephon Castle’s Summer League was cut short due to a right wrist sprain that caused the San Antonio Spurs to shut down the No. 4 overall pick as a precaution, but he still left his mark in Vegas with one of the most impressive showings from this year’s rookie class. Castle had 22 points, five rebounds and four assists in 29 minutes of action in a Spurs win over the Blazers last Saturday night, asserting his presence like a top-5 pick should in Summer League.
For Castle, he appreciated the “vibe” of Vegas Summer League, where there is a distinct buzz that first weekend and the arena gets packed for those games featuring top picks. It was the kind of performance San Antonio wanted to see from their top pick, who they hope can become a core piece alongside reigning Rookie of the Year, Victor Wembanyama. As Castle explained in a sitdown with DIME at the Call of Duty suite at Encore, the message to him going into Summer League was simple: Be aggressive.
“There’s nothing specific, but just coming in they told me just really be aggressive and feel as free as I can,” Castle said. “Cause, you know, just with the roster that we have, they want me to score, they want me to facilitate, they want me to kind of run the show a little bit. But you know, they just really want me to go out there and play free.”
Any player that earns a top-5 selection is a confident player, but Castle gained an extra boost from that messaging, particularly when it came from a legend like Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.
“With the talks that I’ve had with him already, he seems to speak very highly of me. I have a lot of respect for him. And I mean, he just wants me to come out here and play with confidence,” Castle said. “So, I’ve been doing that, and for a coach like that to tell me that, it kind of instills a lot of confidence in me too. Just to be able to play for him in my rookie year and learn from a coach like that super early on is super exciting for what my future will look like.”
While Castle only played one game in Vegas, he did get to enjoy the full experience of Summer League, which goes beyond the court and offers players their first taste of being an NBA star. One of the Summer League staples has become the Call of Duty suite, where players (rookies and veterans) get an early look at the next installment in the popular video game franchise and compete with others for bragging rights and a $10,000 cash prize.
The competition is a natural fit for this current generation of NBA players, as video games have replaced cards for many teams as the way guys kill time and bond off the court. This year, Bronny James edged out Grant Williams to win the competition, picking up 84 kills in two minutes — Williams had 83. While Castle isn’t quite on that level, he is quick to note he’s no slouch on the sticks. “I put myself like a 7.5/8 (out of 10). I’m not gonna say I’m the best, but I can definitely compete,” Castle said of his Call of Duty skills.
As for his impressions after getting a sneak peek at Black Ops 6, Castle is looking forward to getting his hands on the game and trying out some of the new movement mechanics.
“Yeah, I’m excited. It looked good. The campaign looked good. The graphics look good, too. I mean, I don’t know how much better they can make them year by year, but yeah,” Castle said. “The new movement and stuff is something I’m excited for. It’s probably gonna take me a minute to really get adjusted to it but yeah, I think it’ll be a good game.”
He’ll also be getting used to new movements on the court as well, as he takes the leap to the pro game and adjusts to life in the NBA. The good news is, he’ll have quite the support system around him in San Antonio to help make that transition. Prior to the Draft, Castle made some waves by stating his desire to play point guard for his new team, but after drafting him, the Spurs went out and signed Chris Paul to a 1-year deal.
Castle is looking at that as a unique opportunity to get a year-long crash course in point guard play from one of the best to ever do it, explaining that he’s excited just to be able to watch Paul operate up close and learn the finer points of the position from him.
“I feel like he’s one of the best point guards to ever play in the NBA. So, to be able to learn from him, year one, it’s gonna be super fun, for sure,” Castle said. “And to be able to play alongside him, I feel like he’s a legend, so to play alongside Chris Paul and have Coach Pop with me is definitely something I’m looking forward to. But just being able to pick up on things like screen navigation, like when to snake a screen, the right passes to make and stuff, I feel like he’s the best at doing that. So, trying to pick up on a lot of that stuff in the year that we’ll have him.”
Learning to make those reads — and make them quickly — is paramount for a successful point guard in the NBA. For Castle, it’s not something he was asked to do a ton at UConn, where he spent more time off the ball, but he’s been focused on redeveloping that skill set this summer so he can take on that challenge when asked in San Antonio.
“Probably my playmaking abilities. I feel like I’ve always had it, it was just my role at UConn was a lot different and so I didn’t really have to show it as much,” Castle explained. “But trying to kind of fill that role again, and show my shot-making ability, show my shot creation, creating shots for my teammates, too. So, really just doing everything on the court that can help us win games.”
At the same time, spending a year at UConn gives him something that top picks don’t always get, which is a taste of playing different roles. There can be a bit of a culture shock for players that have spent their entire lives dominating the ball when they arrive in the league and suddenly are asked to do something else. Castle won’t have that, and he expects that experience will help him considerably at the next level.
“I feel like it was super helpful, just with my versatility,” Castle said. “I mean, coming out of high school, I was pretty ball dominant, and then going to UConn, I was off the ball a lot. So I got to learn how to play off the ball, learn when and when not to cut, stuff like that. So I feel like it polished my all around game, because you never know you’re gonna be on the court with — like, we just got Chris Paul, so with him on the court, I know I’ll be off the ball some more. So, just to have that in my bag is definitely gonna help me.”
Castle’s comfort in various roles gives him a mental edge on guys who may not know how to impact the game in a variety of ways. Beyond that, he comes from a UConn program that runs one of the deepest and most advanced playbooks in all of college basketball, which is why Dan Hurley was chased so hard this summer by the Los Angeles Lakers. Castle also sees his experience in that system, which is more similar to NBA actions than a lot of college programs run, as something that can make his transition to the league smoother than others.
“Yeah, I felt like my time at UConn really prepared me for what NBA offenses and NBA defenses would look like,” Castle said. “Because we were very — like, very — precise and very calculated on pretty much everything we did. Coach Hurley, he really broke down everything offensively and made it simple for us. From the outside looking in, I’m sure it looks pretty complex, but just the way that he explained it and explained why we were doing certain things, I feel like that’s gonna help me on the next level a lot.”
While the offensive side of the ball is where Castle’s upside will be determined by his development as a playmaker, it’s on the defensive end where he figures to be the most consistently impactful immediately. The 6’6 guard has terrific length in the backcourt, and with Wembanyama already being one of the best defenders in the entire league at patrolling the paint, adding a high-level point of attack defender was something near the top of their wishlist this summer. Castle hopes to be that guy, and he’s very excited to get on the court with Wemby and see what they can do together to opposing offenses.
“I feel like my on-ball ability will complement his rim protection pretty well,” Castle said. “You know, just me being a point of attack defender, and now having him protect the rim behind me, I feel like that’ll be pretty shocking for an opposing offense. I just feel like what I can do like on ball screens, and guarding the perimeter and having somebody that versatile behind you that can switch out on screens and guard guards and contest shots. I think it’s gonna be fun to play with, and I’m just excited for what it’s gonna look like.”