Stephon Castle

[JMAC3]

What is his ceiling if Castle 'hits'? Something like Derrick White w/ a worse 3?

Not sure I am ready to just write him off as some awful shooter for his career.
76% from the line, 28% from 3 aren't good. But his outside shot gets talked about like he has taken 10 all year.

Maybe it takes 2-3 years in the NBA which limits his immediate impact, but if his defense, playmaking, iq keep him on the floor early in his career I don't see any reason he can't become an average 3pt shooter.

[FarBeyondDriven]

What is his ceiling if Castle 'hits'? Something like Derrick White w/ a worse 3?

not a bad comp. He's a better penetrator and more natural point guard than White imo but production wise and impact that's just about what I expect from Castle. 6th man on a championship caliber team or a starting point guard on most others.

[JustBuzzin]

What is his ceiling if Castle 'hits'? Something like Derrick White w/ a worse 3?

not a bad comp. He's a better penetrator and more natural point guard than White imo but production wise and impact that's just about what I expect from Castle. 6th man on a championship caliber team or a starting point guard on most others.

I see him more as a sg/slasher with the ability to play backup pg in limited minutes.

He's going to be a good defender at the next level.

[vincecarter4pres]

It’s hard not to fall in love with this kid.

If he becomes just an average shooter off the dribble and a respectable 3 point shooter when left wide open, sky’s the limit for him, like legit superstar potential.

He covers so much ground, he’s super composed, good first step, borderline elite level overall athlete, makes things look effortless.

Has a great feel for the game, high bbiq, right now unselfish to a fault and some of that is he doesn’t have the confidence in his pull-up J from midrange and shallow paint, but that will probably come.

He cuts and slashes off ball so well too, great motor.

And he makes all the small winning hustle plays.

His defense is great at this level and he has the tools and measures to continue that.

Every time I watch him I think 2 things too… one, I’m surprised when he hasn’t filled the boxscore, even when he isn’t having a particularly stat stuffing active game; and two, he is just a winner and is going to be a problem in a few years when it all clicks and he feels comfortable being more aggressive hunting his own shot.

We’re going to look back at him 5 years from now and wonder why he didn’t go top 3 if he slides to the later lotto.

[The Moose]

best player on the court tonight

[BlazersBroncos]

I don’t think he becomes this level of player but has anyone else seen shades of Kentucky SGA in his game?

[Catchall]

I see Kris Dunn. Hope the shot comes together for him. You can't pass up open 3s and drive into traffic in the NBA.

[BlazersBroncos]

I see Kris Dunn. Hope the shot comes together for him. You can't pass up open 3s and drive into traffic in the NBA.

Dunn doesnt really have positional versatility - if Castle is a legit 6'6 he should be able to guard up and down a spot from SG, at least in doses.

[Catchall]

I see Kris Dunn. Hope the shot comes together for him. You can't pass up open 3s and drive into traffic in the NBA.

Dunn doesnt really have positional versatility - if Castle is a legit 6'6 he should be able to guard up and down a spot from SG, at least in doses.

I don't think Castle is a legit 6'6". I think he's going to measure out under 6'5" w/o shoes. I see the positional versatility with Castle, but his upside is as a primary initiator.

FWIW, Dunn is one of the best on-ball defenders in the league. He guards 1-3, he can use his strength to drive on defenders, and he makes good reads. He's a good player who now shoots a couple 3s per game. But it goes to show just how important it is for a perimeter player to shoot with volume and consistency, as Dunn is now a backup after his career was pushed to the brink.

[Catchall]

This is what Dunn looked like at Providence. Castle is about an 1" or 1.5" taller. They're similar in length and athleticism.

Watch on YouTube

[JustBuzzin]

Castle is a high IQ glue piece who will make the correct play. I see him as the Draymond of guards. He's not going to shoot the ball at a high level, but he has other skills that will make him be a good fit for any team.

Notice how he always guard the opposing teams best offensive player guard/wing. He's going to be that kind of player just a smart player who will do all the dirty work. If he shots develop then you could be looking at a possible all-star in the future.

[yosemiteben]

I don't love his size if he's primarily going to be a non-shooter and defense is his game.

A guard version of Draymond is not a great player, what makes (made) Draymond special defensively is his ability to do what he does with positional versatility to cover bigs and wings.

[FarBeyondDriven]

Castle is a high IQ glue piece who will make the correct play. I see him as the Draymond of guards. He's not going to shoot the ball at a high level, but he has other skills that will make him be a good fit for any team.

Notice how he always guard the opposing teams best offensive player guard/wing. He's going to be that kind of player just a smart player who will do all the dirty work. If he shots develop then you could be looking at a possible all-star in the future.

I love how people think 19 y/o are finished products. Good thing Luka never got this memo. He was a terrible shooter at this age. And he was a 32% 3 pt shooter until his 3rd year in the league. Kawhi too. Good thing he didn't listen these people and worked on his shot before his rookie season and turned himself into an elite shooter ever since.

[JustBuzzin]

Castle is a high IQ glue piece who will make the correct play. I see him as the Draymond of guards. He's not going to shoot the ball at a high level, but he has other skills that will make him be a good fit for any team.

Notice how he always guard the opposing teams best offensive player guard/wing. He's going to be that kind of player just a smart player who will do all the dirty work. If he shots develop then you could be looking at a possible all-star in the future.

I love how people think 19 y/o are finished products. Good thing Luka never got this memo. He was a terrible shooter at this age. And he was a 32% 3 pt shooter until his 3rd year in the league. Kawhi too. Good thing he didn't listen these people and worked on his shot before his rookie season and turned himself into an elite shooter ever since.

Castle is the #1 prospect on my board. I said he's not going to shoot at a high level as of right now. Of course I think he can improve which is why I have him #1 on my board.

[vincecarter4pres]

I don’t remember being very high on Dunn, but he really needed the ball in his hands to be effective.

That’s not the case with Castle.

And the funny thing is everyone is saying all Castle is good at is initiating, but he’s a beast slashing and moving without the ball.

If there was a top level point guard on Uconn people would probably critique him for being a gadget player and ask if he can handle the ball and create, and run an offense. He’s playing the role he’s being asked to play for coach Hurley’s vision, tuned to their roster.

I get Swiss Army knife players don’t always work in the NBA, but he is a kid who’s literally a respectable jumpshot and 3 or 4 seasons experience in the league away from being an All Star imho. He just has all the other tools, that unteachable feel for the game, high bbiq, composure, an elite motor, no ego to do all the winning stuff, dirty work and hustle plays. He plays within himself and the game slows down for him a majority of the time.

Idk if he winds up that dude, but he might be the guy I’d bet on the most period in this draft.

[Chuck Everett]

I don’t remember being very high on Dunn, but he really needed the ball in his hands to be effective.

That’s not the case with Castle.

And the funny thing is everyone is saying all Castle is good at is initiating, but he’s a beast slashing and moving without the ball.

If there was a top level point guard on Uconn people would probably critique him for being a gadget player and ask if he can handle the ball and create, and run an offense. He’s playing the role he’s being asked to play for coach Hurley’s vision, tuned to their roster.

I get Swiss Army knife players don’t always work in the NBA, but he is a kid who’s literally a respectable jumpshot and 3 or 4 seasons experience in the league away from being an All Star imho. He just has all the other tools, that unteachable feel for the game, high bbiq, composure, an elite motor, no ego to do all the winning stuff, dirty work and hustle plays. He plays within himself and the game slows down for him a majority of the time.

Idk if he winds up that dude, but he might be the guy I’d bet on the most period in this draft.

People are still giving him demerits because he's not being selfish (on an elite college team). He clearly has some physical talent. But when you add up all the intangibles, he seems like a no-brainer. People liked guys like Bouknight simply because of his counting stats. He gets to the league and not only does he suck, he has a bad attitude to boot.

I have a hard time seeing Castle not having a good career. Being coachable is a positive.

[HadAnEffectHere]

Could be Lonzo Ball if he learns how to shoot like 37-38% from three on high volume. Not valuable at all if he continues to not shoot.

The 76% from the line looks good.

The 27% from three and his total lack of confidence in his jumpshot is pretty alarming.

[MemphisX]

I don’t remember being very high on Dunn, but he really needed the ball in his hands to be effective.

That’s not the case with Castle.

And the funny thing is everyone is saying all Castle is good at is initiating, but he’s a beast slashing and moving without the ball.

If there was a top level point guard on Uconn people would probably critique him for being a gadget player and ask if he can handle the ball and create, and run an offense. He’s playing the role he’s being asked to play for coach Hurley’s vision, tuned to their roster.

I get Swiss Army knife players don’t always work in the NBA, but he is a kid who’s literally a respectable jumpshot and 3 or 4 seasons experience in the league away from being an All Star imho. He just has all the other tools, that unteachable feel for the game, high bbiq, composure, an elite motor, no ego to do all the winning stuff, dirty work and hustle plays. He plays within himself and the game slows down for him a majority of the time.

Idk if he winds up that dude, but he might be the guy I’d bet on the most period in this draft.

People are still giving him demerits because he's not being selfish (on an elite college team). He clearly has some physical talent. But when you add up all the intangibles, he seems like a no-brainer. People liked guys like Bouknight simply because of his counting stats. He gets to the league and not only does he suck, he has a bad attitude to boot.

I have a hard time seeing Castle not having a good career. Being coachable is a positive.

Watching him, I have to remind myself that he is playing his role in the system. He joined a team that won a title and did not need him to "go crazy" as a freshman. Ideally, he would come back and be the focus of the team as a Soph but we all know that era is gone.

[Chuck Everett]

I don’t remember being very high on Dunn, but he really needed the ball in his hands to be effective.

That’s not the case with Castle.

And the funny thing is everyone is saying all Castle is good at is initiating, but he’s a beast slashing and moving without the ball.

If there was a top level point guard on Uconn people would probably critique him for being a gadget player and ask if he can handle the ball and create, and run an offense. He’s playing the role he’s being asked to play for coach Hurley’s vision, tuned to their roster.

I get Swiss Army knife players don’t always work in the NBA, but he is a kid who’s literally a respectable jumpshot and 3 or 4 seasons experience in the league away from being an All Star imho. He just has all the other tools, that unteachable feel for the game, high bbiq, composure, an elite motor, no ego to do all the winning stuff, dirty work and hustle plays. He plays within himself and the game slows down for him a majority of the time.

Idk if he winds up that dude, but he might be the guy I’d bet on the most period in this draft.

People are still giving him demerits because he's not being selfish (on an elite college team). He clearly has some physical talent. But when you add up all the intangibles, he seems like a no-brainer. People liked guys like Bouknight simply because of his counting stats. He gets to the league and not only does he suck, he has a bad attitude to boot.

I have a hard time seeing Castle not having a good career. Being coachable is a positive.

Watching him, I have to remind myself that he is playing his role in the system. He joined a team that won a title and did not need him to "go crazy" as a freshman. Ideally, he would come back and be the focus of the team as a Soph but we all know that era is gone.

In two of the four games this tourney as a true freshman against 5th year players, he put the clamps on Boo Buie and Terrance Shannon, Jr. An 19 year old lockdown defender? Like what are we doing here? The guy is a two-way athlete on the wing, who is also an unselfish team player. Guys like him don't just fall out of the sky and that doesn't mean he should go #1. Just, if you're picking top 5-7 and you have perimeter weaknesses, you have to give him a legit look. His workouts might cause him to fly up the draft boards, the same way Scottie Barnes and Keegan Murray did.

[nate33]

I see a Marcus Smart type of player. Maybe not quite a pure PG and not quite a pure SG, but a versatile baller who makes winning plays and will probably take on a leadership role, but also frustrates you with his inability to reliably knock down shots. Early on, he'll be a good complementary player to play alongside a poor-D scoring guard like Tyrese Maxey, Trae Young or Coby White.

If things break right, he hones his shooting and playmaking skills over time and becomes a jumbo-sized defensive-minded low-usage PG in the Jrue Holiday/Derrick White mold.