Can Stephon Castle swing the Finals? How the Spurs’ second-year star is setting the tone against Knicks

In the wake of the Spurs taking Game 3, my mind is stuck on a postgame quote Dylan Harper gave about Stephon Castle, who hit two clutch free throws to seal the 115-111 victory on Monday.

Harper was asked by ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt about what makes his teammate smile. He replied, “Nothing.”

Stick with me. Let’s think about what Castle’s play has meant for the Spurs all season long. The drives speak for themselves, the playmaking has continued to grow and the defense has announced itself at every turn. Think about how in one playoff run he has taken that skill set and knocked on history’s door. Look at the players with the most 15+ point, 5+ rebound, 5+ assist playoff games in NBA history before turning 22 years old: Magic Johnson is No. 1 on the list with 11, LeBron James is third with 9, and it’s Castle who’s in second place with 10.

Advertisement

Back to the smiling portion. When the Spurs were down 2-0, Castle himself delivered a bevy of quotes between games that raised some eyebrows. He emphasized confidence in the Spurs, and the fact they should have won both games. Being down 2-0 in the Finals was “nothing the Spurs couldn’t handle.”

Not only did he back that up with a 23-5-5 in Game 3. He did it in front of a New York crowd that has been waiting to see the Knicks find Finals glory for the first time in 27 years. He set the tone, then took the game away from them in the end.

Castle may not smile a ton, but his competitive will to win made sure the Knicks and their fanbase would walk away from Game 3 muttering, “Nothing to smile about in my life.”

Advertisement

While a lot of the orbit and pull on the Spurs surrounds the play of Victor Wembanyama, remember: Wemby and Castle became the first pair of teammates 22 or younger to score 20+ points in an NBA Finals game. Many will point to Wembanyama’s aggression and mindset, his improved numbers in pick-and-roll, and his ability to get in the paint more and find ways to get rolls. But I raise the question:

How did he get there?

The Spurs’ guards were finally able to engage the Knicks’ bigs in pick-and-roll. And in my eyes, it’s Castle who set that tone early and often in…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/can-stephon-castle-swing-the-finals-how-the-spurs-second-year-star-is-setting-the-tone-against-knicks-124845721.html

Author : Steve Jones

Publish date : 2026-06-10 12:48:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.