Stephon Castle Can Do It All. But Can He Become a Star?

Getty Images/AP Photo/Ringer illustration UConn's freshman guard is projected to be a top pick, but not everyone is convinced he's a future All-Star. I spoke with Castle about his NBA ceiling, the pre-draft process, and more. The past five NBA champions all have something in common. Each of them had at least one big guard who offered lockdown defense and could be plugged in all over the floor on offense. This year's Boston Celtics had Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, the 2023 Denver Nuggets had Bruce Brown Jr. and Christian Braun, and the 2022 Warriors (Gary Payton II), 2021 Bucks (Holiday again), and 2020 Lakers (Alex Caruso) all possessed valuable do-it-all guards, too. All of these guys stand at 6-foot-6 or shorter but could be found setting screens, hanging around the dunker spot, and doing big-man-like things despite being listed in the backcourt. But that's the new NBA. Tasks are delegated based on skills, not just size. This year's NCAA champion Connecticut Huskies were helped by a freshman who played a similar role: Stephon Castle, who is a projected top pick in the 2024 NBA draft. UConn utilized its 6-foot-6, 210-pound guard all over the court with cuts to the rim, on-ball screens, and post-ups. I spoke with Castle on Monday and he told me that Holiday's performance stood out to him as he watched the Celtics' run to the NBA Finals, in part because he sees similarities in his own game. "The Celtics had guards in the dunker spot to kind of mess with the other team's defense," Castle told The Ringer. "Just seeing how many different places they had their guards in, doing a whole bunch of other different things on the court. Kind of similar to what we did. I could definitely see myself in a system like that." Castle's ability to do the dirty work and excel in different roles is one of the reasons his NBA career should have such a high floor. On defense, he uses his 6-foot-9 wingspan to effectively defend across positions. He's a tone-setter who fights through screens, blocks shots at the rim, and stays attached to opponents away from the ball. Last season in college, Castle shut down future first-round picks like Providence's Devin Carter and Creighton's Baylor Scheierman, displaying his elite abilities on a near-nightly basis by taking on tough assignments. Castle says his best game of the season was his 20-point effort against Providence, because he had to defend Carter all game while carrying the offense. "I had to guard the other team's best player so I was a little drained from that, but then I still produced a lot for us on the other end," he says. "So I feel like I played a pretty complete game." The game offered a glimpse into what Castle could become in the NBA. He made life hard on Carter all game. And on offense he hit a pair of 3s and converted some clutch buckets at the rim in the second half. Because as appealing as Castle is purely for his high-end role player qualities, if a team is investing a top pick in a prospect, they're naturally hoping he can become a star. It's been widely reported that Castle has only been working out for teams in the pre-draft process that don't have a pure point guard. Considering he took a backseat as an on-ball creator with the Huskies and shared responsibilities, I asked him why. "I just have supreme confidence in my game and what I believe I could be," Castle says. "So that was my thought process behind that. Really just betting on myself." Scouts don't have doubts about Castle's passing ability. Going back to high school, he's always displayed an ability to quickly dissect a defense and make the proper read, whether he's firing a cross-court pass to a corner 3-point shooter or bouncing it to a cutter at the rim. Castle's court sense, solid footwork, and pace enable him to operate in pick-and-rolls. But since he isn't a quick-twitch creator who generates a ton of space off the dribble, he does project as more of a piece in a multi-creator system rather than a lead guard who runs the whole show. Castle says he's been "sharpening" his game since the college season ended by focusing on his shooting, ballhandling, and passing. Above all else, teams want to see him find greater success as a scorer. Castle made only 26.7 percent of his 3s at UConn, and he made only 25 percent of his pull-up 2s, per Synergy Sports. At the high school level, he had his moments catching fire, but never found consistency shooting from the perimeter. "I didn't have the best shooting season last season. But most of the teams that I've talked to and worked out for, they've always said they didn't think it would be a problem later down in my career," Castle says. That's a fair read. It's one of the reasons I'm so high on Castle. His mechanics need a little work since he doesn't have a repeatable motion and there seem to be so many moving parts every time he rises up. Castle says he's made improvements in this department, though no changes were made mechanically. Instead, it's about getting reps to find consistency. Castle says teams he's worked out for haven't marked his shot as "any kind of red flag." Carrying his revamped jumper over to games will be a different challenge, but it's the key to unlocking Castle's full potential as a player. One big reason for optimism is that he's always displayed a soft touch on layups and floaters, and this past season he made significant improvements from the free throw line. Over his first 15 games at UConn, he made 68.9 percent of his free throws. After that, he made 83.7 percent. "The process of getting better and starting to see your work show is the most satisfying thing about basketball. It's what I love most about it," Castle says. "Just staying down, starting to see progress in your work and everything's starting to pay off and you're getting rewarded with accolades and success and winning, I feel like that's what completes the picture for me." Castle is not an overly vocal leader, but he leads by example with his effort on the court and his emotion after big plays. He does what's required to win. And he's receptive to feedback. "He's a ball player. He's not a TikToker," UConn head coach Dan Hurley said on The Ryen Russillo Podcast last week. Castle says he chose the Huskies because of Hurley's vision for him and seeing how hard he pushed guys. "You could tell they play hard for him. They believe in him and they trust him," Castle says. "I just felt like he was an all-around authentic coach that wouldn't cut me any slack." Ultimately, it seems like Castle wants to be pushed to reach his potential. He chose UConn for the opportunity to play basketball at a high level and expand on his game under Hurley. And now he's angling for teams that can help him realize his on-ball potential. It's been reported that he worked out for the San Antonio Spurs and the Washington Wizards, two teams that offer dramatically different situations. The Wizards are a clean slate, while the Spurs will have the pressure of supporting the greatness of Victor Wembanyama. Two of my other favorite fits for Castle are the Hornets and the Jazz, since each of those teams would provide a complementary guard to pair with him in the backcourt, allowing him to thrive in the same ways he did for UConn while also giving him a chance to develop with the ball in his hands. No matter where he lands, Castle says his goal is to become a top player in the league. "I feel like that's what everybody should shoot for," Castle says. "The league is so deep now, so versatile. It is going to be hard. But it's something I'm willing to work towards."

Stephon Castle Can Do It All. But Can He Become a Star?

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