The San Antonio Spurs have completed their rebuild, and are ready to compete in the West this season. With Victor Wembanyama ready to take his leap into superstardom, the possibilities for the Spurs over the next few seasons are endless.
San Antonio has surrounded Wemby with a lot of dynamic backcourt talent. The team has drafted guards in the lottery in back-to-back drafts: Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. Castle was the NBA’s Rookie of the Year last season, and Harper has the potential to be one of the best guards in the league.
The Spurs also have some veteran talent, as they traded for De’Aaron Fox prior to last season’s trade deadline and have Devin Vassell in tow as well. That’s four starting-level guards that San Antonio has, leading to speculation about who will be starting when the season begins. However, we can rule out one ridiculous possibility.
Stephon Castle must not come off the bench for the Spurs
Castle showed off his versatility and freakish athleticism in his stellar rookie season, but played his best basketball after the All-Star break. Castle averaged 18 points per game, five rebounds, and five assists.
He was relentless at attacking the basket, and looked comfortable creating his own shot. He also operated nicely as a floor general, as he had ten games with six or more assists post-All-Star break.
Castle also showed off his elite defensive chops. He is very good at stopping the point-of-attack, and is relentless on the ball. Thanks to his bigger frame at 6’6”, and nearly 220 pounds, he can guard multiple positions. He can stay with quick ball handlers, and guard stronger forwards.
Castle can also play both guard spots, but with Fox and Harper likely to handle point guard duties this season, he will find himself playing a lot of shooting guard.
Castle’s two-way ability is exactly why he must start for the Spurs
Fox, Harper, and Vassell may all be better scorers than Castle, but neither of them offer the defensive ability that he has. It would make the most sense for San Antonio to start Fox, and Castle to begin the season, with Harper, and Vassell coming off the bench.
In my opinion, the Spurs’ backcourt of the future is Castle and Harper. Signing Fox to that max extension wasn’t the smartest thing, especially considering the team’s need for a versatile small forward. However, it looks like San Antonio will roll into the season with these four guards.
New head coach Mitch Johnson already has big shoes to fill by following Gregg Popovich, one of the greatest coaches in NBA history. Johnson’s first move as head man should be sliding Castle into his starting five. It makes the most sense basketball-wise, and will maximize the team’s potential around Wembanyama.
