Victor Wembanyama is the best defender on the San Antonio Spurs. Any player will tell you that he’s the best defender in the NBA.
However, second-year guard Stephon Castle is no slouch. In his rookie season, he averaged 1.2 “stocks” per game and was often tasked with defending opponents’ lead ball handler.
As a rookie, Castle appeared in 81 games, facing off against every team in the league. He played point guard, off-ball, and served as a wing at times for the Spurs, and thinks three players stand out as the hardest to guard.
Stephon Castle Reveals Hardest Players to Defend
Last season, Nikola Jokic scored 46 points on the Spurs, the most of any player. The most points by a guard, however, was Jordan Poole’s 42 points, although the Spurs won that game, 139-130.
Poole did not make the cut on Castle’s list.
“I’ll put Kyrie [Irving] up there, for sure. I’ll put Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] up there. And I put Paolo [Banchero] up there,” he listed to Athlon Sports’ Steve Driscoll.
It makes sense. Irving is one of the best ball-handlers of all time and can get to his spot with ease. Gilgeous-Alexander led the NBA in scoring and rivaled Jokic as the best player in the world. Banchero is not an obvious pick, but he is oversized and incredibly strong, which would give even the 6-foot-6 Castle some trouble.
“I don’t know if they’re all legal, but a lot of shoulder bumps,” added Castle of Banchero.
Stephon Castle’s Picks Make Sense
Last season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 27 points against the Spurs. Irving posted 18.5, and Banchero had 20.5. All of those are below their season averages, so they clearly had trouble scoring with volume against San Antonio.
However, all three of them remained efficient against San Antonio, and Castle and the Spurs went 6-1 against that trio last season, with their sole win coming against the Thunder early in the year.
Of course, Castle was inexperienced, and the Spurs weren’t that good last season, so Castle could turn things around next season. Irving will miss most–if not all–of the season with a torn ACL. Banchero and Gilgeous-Alexander, on the other hand, will only get better, so Castle will have his hands full for his entire career.