Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images It’s early, but Castle seems to bring the exact combination of skills the Spurs needed from a guard to round out their core. Stephon Castle was not under pressure to prove his worth as a rookie. The Spurs picked him fourth overall in what was considered a weak draft and brought in veterans to round out the starting lineup. Castle was expected to come off the bench, play some defense, and learn under Chris Paul. Apparently, no one told Castle that. He’s been performing so well lately as a starter he could earn that spot permanently and already looks like a foundational piece that could form a terrifying two-way duo with Victor Wembanyama sooner rather than later. Castle had a rough start to the year, which was in line with what most observers were expecting from him. During his first seven games, all coming off the bench, Castle scored in double digits just once and had dismal shooting numbers. There were flashes of shot-making potential and his defense was solid most of the time, but he looked like a project. Since then, after moving into the starting lineup, he’s scored 10 points or more in all but one game, is one of the players receiving the most minutes for a Spurs team that has won seven of the last 11, is shooting well, and has been crucial in crunch time. Injuries gave Castle the opportunity to get a bigger role, and he delivered by becoming an integral piece on a surprising San Antonio team that is over .500 despite having core members miss time. At a glance, the stats from his latest stretch — around 15 points, three rebounds and five assists a game — don't scream future star, but a closer look paints just how impressive the 20-year-old has been since getting more minutes and the green light to be himself. He’s taking threes at a high rate and making them at just under league-average pace, something few thought would be possible this early in his career. He’s been a killer in the clutch, leading the Spurs in total points and connecting on seven of his 11 shots with the Spurs up or down five points or fewer in the last five minutes of the game. The rookie is also tied for first in total free throws in the entire team and is second in assists. He’s been assigned to the best perimeter scorer on defense often and has done a good job despite his inexperience. The most important and encouraging part of it all is that what he already does well makes him a perfect fit next to Victor Wembanyama. Those aforementioned numbers from his stint as a starter show that threes, free throws, playmaking, clutch scoring and defense are what Castle brings, and the Spurs didn’t have anyone who could check all the boxes until now. One of the big issues the Spurs had with young ball handlers was that they couldn’t shoot, which allowed opponents to play off them to help or even hide their center on them and guard Wemby with a smaller, more agile player. They can’t do that with Castle because he’ll pull the trigger, both off the dribble and spotting up. It doesn’t really matter, at least for now, that Castle is not a consistent shooter. The willingness to let it fly makes the defense act differently. Castle also has the confidence to create his own shot, mostly on drives. Again, he’s not the best at finishing those forays into the paint yet, but he provides much-needed rim pressure that gets opponents into rotations and takes advantage of the attention Wemby receives in five-out units. If the ball can’t get to Wemby late in games, Castle seems like a good second option. And if his defense progresses as expected, the Area 51 duo could be a nightmare for opponents. There are still questions about Castle’s ceiling. The lack of an explosive first step and next-level vision could likely cap his potential at a Derrick White/Jrue Holiday/Marcus Smart level instead of the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander/Luka Doncic echelon. The good thing for the Spurs is that even if that’s the case, and it’s too early to tell, that type of player would still be incredibly valuable for a team that has a future superstar in place and plenty of assets to make one big move. By hitting on the Castle pick like they seemingly have, the front office has found a floor raiser and allowed itself to take bigger risks in the future. Because if Castle is as solid as he seems and the fit with Wemby is so seamless, San Antonio already has a core that should get enough wins to be competitive as the two grow together. There is a lot to be excited about Castle as an individual player, but there’s more to like about his fit next to Wembanyama. The Spurs should be past looking for talent in isolation and starting to focus on building something cohesive, and the Wemby-Castle duo seems like a great foundation. When their prized young guard and big man are on the floor together, San Antonio has outscored opponents by over five points per 100 possessions, a net rating that would rank in the top 10 in the league. Caution is advisable with numbers like that after only a few games, but, as mentioned, watching the games shows that optimism about the pairing is warranted. Stephon Castle is 20 years old and has only played 19 games as a professional. The rookie hasn’t had a chance to spend a lot of time on the floor with Jeremy Sochan and Devin Vassell, the two other major pieces of the Spurs’ core. He definitely hasn’t done enough to suggest that stardom is inevitable for him. What he has done is show that, even through the mistakes and despite the rough edges, he’s the type of player who could shine next to Wembanyama and help maximize the big man’s talent. And that’s huge for a San Antonio team that should be done indiscriminately adding talent and focusing instead on building a team.