Prospect among the most anticipated upon leaving high school, Stephon Castle had a strange freshman season with Connecticut. From being a leader and creator in high school, the Georgia native agreed to put himself at the service of the Huskies in their quest for the NCAA double, even if it meant sacrificing a little of his responsibilities. And it did him a lot of good!
University champion, Stephon Castle saw his rating rise throughout the season and his great performances as the fifth wheel of the car. In a very open Draft due to a lack of oversized talents, the leader/back can hope to be one of the first called up on June 26.
More than his individual performances during his only season at UConn, Stephon Castle stood out for his qualities that are so valuable for any team. Strong “guard” capable of holding the ball, finishing on the counterattack and defending the lead on the best opposing attacker, he seems ready for the NBA, even if he is not yet 20 years old. The kind of “two-way player” on which any franchise is capable of investing millions of dollars in recent summers.
The fact remains that Stephon Castle is as stubborn on the floor as he is determined. He indicated during his pre-Draft interviews that he did not want to relive a season like in Connecticut and that he would only accept tryouts with teams looking for a ballhandler. Its place in this Draft therefore remains quite vague, depending on everyone's choices.
Profile
Job : guard/leader
Size : 1m98
Weight : 95 kg
Team : Connecticut Huskies
Stats 2023/24: 11.1 points at 47.2%, 4.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists in 26.9 minutes
Strong points
– Defense. His numbers don't jump out at all (0.8 interceptions, 0.5 blocks), and don't say everything, or even very much, about his contribution on this side of the field. Connecticut had a Defensive Rating of 95.5 when he was on the floor, compared to 101.5 when he was on the bench. Very good stopper thanks to his strong size for a 1/2 position, Stephon Castle has all the assets of a complete defender: strong upper body to resist contact and screens on pick-and-roll, understanding of the game in assists or on rotations and vocal leader.
– Athletic qualities for his position. Stephon Castle is not one of the “freaks”. But for a player who wants to play as a leader, his relaxation and explosiveness could offer him interesting “mismatches” in the more open NBA game. In addition to his qualities in transition (61% shooting on the counterattack), his mastery of rhythm with the ball in hand and his speed in cutting towards the circle are real assets.
– Creation. Here again, UConn's game tends to level out statistical impact and individualities. But Stephon Castle is a solid distributor, especially on pick-and-roll. Without being a potential John Stockton, he will offer his franchise a reliable creative option (2.9 passes for 1.5 lost balls). His impact could be greater depending on whether he is empowered by his next franchise.
Weak points
– The shot. This is the real limit of Stephon Castle's game, with a weak 27% at 3-points. His mechanics will require a little work, his confidence in his shooting perhaps even more, while he has sometimes refused to take open shots. There is, however, hope, with 85% success on free throws in the last 15 games of the season compared to 70% in the first twenty.
– No real strong point. If Stephon Castle can do a lot of things on the pitch, he is one of those players who has neither prohibitive weakness nor areas in which he excels. If his guard dog side should guarantee him minutes, if only for a defensive mission, he still lacks what makes him essential.
Comparison
Protean, Stephon Castle evokes Gary Payton II, Bruce Browneven Andre Iguodala, by his ability to be a second creator. His desire to direct the game, combined with good defensive qualities but with a perfectable shot, can also be recalled Marcus Smart.
Prognosis
In the Top 10, and possibly better. The versatility of Stephon Castle can meet the needs of more than one team, the Hornets (6th choice) or even the Rockets (3rd choice) for his outside defensive contribution, the Spurs (4th and 8th) and the Jazz (10th) for his ball management.
