It’s been a busy stretch for Spurs guard Stephon Castle. In just his second year in the NBA, he’s had to guard the likes of Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander through the first four rounds. Now, his assignment is Jalen Brunson, and it may be his toughest one yet.
In the aftermath of Brunson’s dominant Game 1 performance (30 points, three rebounds, and two assists on 38.7% shooting from the field), Stephon Castle spoke on his coverage and explained what separates him from the reigning MVP, Gilgeous-Alexander, who gave the Spurs fits last series.
“They are very similar in ways. Jalen’s left-handed, Shai is right-handed. But I think Shai is more of a threat to get all the way downhill, all the way down to the basket, and I think Jalen likes to use angles a lot more, use a little bit more pump fakes than Shai,” said Castle, via SNY Knicks. “He gets to his spots. Not really trying to draw fouls as much, trying to get to his midrange and spots where he likes. We’re trying to keep him from getting that.”
The most glaring difference here is foul-baiting. While Brunson has surely sold contact on shots before, it’s not nearly to the same degree as SGA. He’s the NBA’s poster child for drawing free throws, and it’s caused a cascade of hatred and vitriol across the NBA. In the regular season, he was first in the league in total free throws with 540 on an average of 7.9 makes per game.
The antics only continued in the playoffs, with advanced analytics showing that he falls consistently more than his peers. Whether it’s a quirk with his game or an intentional act, Shai is always at the line, and he knows how to make an impact in more ways than one. In the last series, the Spurs managed to somewhat contain SGA with smart defense and constant ball pressure, but slowing down Brunson could prove equally as difficult.
With averages of 26.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game on 46.7% shooting from the field and 36.9% shooting from three this season, Brunson led the Knicks to the third-best record in the East (53-29). In the playoffs, his performance has been huge for New York (especially in the clutch), resulting in an impressive 13-2 record going into Game 2 on Friday.
Overall, it sounds like Brunson plays a more honest game compared to SGA, who often resorts to drawing the foul when he needs a quick bucket. It’s an effective tactic that has worked wonders for the Thunder, but it also makes him extremely controversial in the NBA community.
For Castle, the challenge is shifting his style and defensive schemes to best match Brunson’s game. Without the foul baiting, he doesn’t have to worry about excessive trips to the line, but Jalen is still more than capable of overwhelming the enemy with his scoring and playmaking. His calculated and meticulous shot selection will keep Castle in a more active role on the floor, but he seems up for the challenge.
