Stephon Castle attempts 15 free throws vs. Suns

Through three games, Castle has shot 23-of-51 (45.1%) from the field. While that isn’t great, it’s slightly higher than his career mark of 44.7%. Beyond the points, Castle offered solid assist and steal production against the Mavericks in 28 minutes. San Antonio opens Week 2 with a Tuesday/Wednesday back-to-back, so Castle’s playing time could stay in the high-20s in one of those games.

The three-guard starting lineup for the Spurs had a surprising effect. After leading the team in assists last season, Castle had far fewer assists than both De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper. However, he ended up leading the team in scoring and set a new career high for three-pointers in a game. Castle should be used more as a playmaker in the future, but it was good to see him have a strong night as a scorer in this one.

Jeff McDonald also reported that coach Mitch Johnson intends to use this starting lineup on Tuesday against the Thunder. The Spurs will use their three guard lineup with Champagnie and Harris coming off the bench. We’ll see if the starting lineup sticks that way beyond this upcoming Tuesday, but you can feel good to draft Vassell to stream him in on opening night.

Castle isn’t exactly a polarizing player in fantasy basketball, but his low field-goal percentage knocks him down the board in category leagues. He shot well on Thursday and posted a complete stat line, though he turned the ball over twice. If Castle becomes a more consistent shooter and keeps turnovers in check, he’ll have a higher fantasy ceiling.

San Antonio’s starting backcourt struggled mightily in Game 5, with Castle and De’Aaron Fox totaling 13 points on 4-of-25 shooting from the field. As well as Castle played in the Spurs’ Game 3 victory and for most of the postseason, turnovers and foul trouble were also factors for the second-year guard. The experience should serve him well in the future, but Castle has to become a more efficient offensive player. His fantasy value will remain limited until that changes, especially when considering Dylan Harper’s emergence.

In just his second season, Castle has been so impressive, and this was one of his best performances of his first postseason. He seemingly injured his ankle in Game 2, but it was never expected to alter his status for this game, and it certainly didn’t hinder his performance. Castle had a strong outing, and he was able to seal the game with a pair of free throws to give the Spurs a four-point lead late. If the Spurs want to even the series in Game 4 on Thursday, Castle will need to continue to play at this level.

Castle appeared to injure his right leg during the second half of Game 2 on Friday. While he did exit the game shortly after the tweak, the second-year guard was back on the court in the fourth quarter as the Spurs rallied. Based on Castle’s comments on Sunday, he should be a full go for Game 3 as the Spurs look to cut the Knicks’ 2-0 lead in half. “It’s been feeling good,” Castle said. “It feels a lot better than I thought it would initially. Obviously, I had some adrenaline running, kind of once I settled down, I started to feel it. Waking up the next day, actually felt really good.” Castle was not listed on the injury report released by the Spurs on Sunday afternoon, so he’ll take on his usual starting role.

Castle’s first-ever NBA Finals game was a respectable one. The second-year guard finished second on the Spurs in scoring and did so on decent shooting. He crashed both the offensive and defensive glass on Wednesday while also doing a little bit as a passer. Still, Castle didn’t deliver high production. He’ll likely need to do a bit more on Friday to help the Spurs avoid dropping a second straight game.

Turnovers were an issue for Castle in Game 7, as he was responsible for six, but the second-year guard managed to contribute in other ways. In addition to shooting the ball well, Castle was active on the glass and took most of the hits in guarding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. One would assume that he’ll be given the task of defending New York’s Jalen Brunson in the NBA Finals, which begin on Wednesday in San Antonio.

Castle did several good things for the Spurs in Game 5. Efficient shooting overall and strong three-point production allowed him to finish as the team’s leading scorer, while his three steals and contributions as a facilitator are also noteworthy. He’s had an up-and-down series with several highs and lows, and San Antonio will need more of the highs on Thursday when it looks to avoid elimination. Castle is averaging 18.6 points and 7.6 assists through the first five games of the series.