New Spurs rookie Stephon Castle appeared on the ‘Knuckleheads Podcast‘ with former NBA players Darius Miles and Quentin Richardson. The duo asked Castle about what the pre-draft process is like. Castle shed some light on what the NBA combine interviews look like.
“They ask some weird questions, especially at the combine when they do the interviews and stuff. I had to interview for 14 or 15 teams but. They asked some weird questions about like old stuff like background stuff, things you would think that they don’t even know about. It just shows that they’ve been watching forever.”
Castle then shared a short anecdote of a team asking him about an undisclosed incident that happened when he was in middle school. He noted that the incident was public very briefly, and he hadn’t even been asked about it in years. Castle remarked how watchful teams in the NBA are when preparing for interviews.
“One of the teams, I don’t remember which team it was, they asked me about something that happened in middle school that went public. People don’t really know about it now but for them to bring it back up, that was like my first time hearing about it, it had been so long. It’s crazy they’ve been watching for that long.”
(05:39 onward)
Castle clearly impressed the San Antonio Spurs in his interview, as they drafted him with the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
His time at UConn playing under Dan Hurley seems to have prepared him for the gritty and hard-working culture that the Spurs have fostered, and fans are excited to see him play alongside franchise cornerstone Victor Wembanyama.
Castle played a key role in UConn’s title-winning season, averaging 11.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. While those stats don’t necessarily jump off the page, he was a crucial player for the Huskies, starting 30 of the 34 games he played for the reigning NCAA champions.
How Will Stephon Castle Help Wembanyama And The Spurs?
Stephon Castle is an aggressive, hard-working guard who can score, but also play solid defense.
His presence on the court will be a positive one for the Spurs’ star player, Victor Wembanyama. Wemby had a sensational rookie season, winning Rookie of the Year, and finishing second behind his countryman Rudy Gobert in the race for Defensive Player of the Year.
While Castle’s three-point shooting is something that needs to be improved upon, with him shooting at just 26.7% from beyond the arc, the promise and potential he brings as a young, hungry player makes him an attractive prospect for the Spurs.
Castle will benefit greatly from playing under legendary Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. Pop has shown in the past he can bring the best out of drafted players, like Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. So any concerns about his immediate fit will dissipate when Pop gets to work with him.
Can Castle help the Spurs make the leap to the next level? That is unlikely, as he and Wembanyama are still very young. The promise that both players bring to the table is sure to excite Spurs fans, and we could see them competing for a championship together in the coming years.
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