Spurs’ Stephon Castle listed as questionable for Pelicans game

The San Antonio Spurs looks like he’s getting half of his the one-two punch of Rookie of the Year against the New Orleans Pelicans. Team rosters Stephen Castle as “Questionable” on the injury report released the day before what should be their third game against the Pels already this season. Every other injury report the team has released since the former UConn star suffered a strained left hip flexor, the reigning ROI has been “out.”

Victor Vembanyama is still listed as “out”. Spurs-beating San Antonio Express reporter Jeff MacDonald reported that the all-time big man participated in the team’s practice the morning after the aforementioned injury report and called Wembey’s chances to play in the Spurs’ Dec. 10 NBA Cup quarterfinal against the Los Angeles Lakers as “unlikely.”

Stephon Castle is ready for the first game in three weeks

On November 16, when the Spurs came out of the locker room in the second half of their game against the Sacramento Kings, they did so with Castle. He just didn’t play the rest of the game, coinciding with the team’s halftime announcement that he wouldn’t return because of a left hip problem.

The Spurs have won that game, as well as six of the nine contests they have played since.

Coming off a season in which he gave the Spurs their second consecutive Rookie of the Year after Vembanyama won it in 2023-2024, Castle has already surpassed his award-winning numbers. His 17.3 points per game compares favorably to 14.7, assists are up from 4.1 to 7.5, rebounds are also up, from 3.7 to 5.8 as are steals, 0.9 to 1.7.

Castle is playing about six more minutes per game, taking over guard duty, especially since De’Aaron Fox started the season on the injured list.

Fox, who led the team in scoring since mid-November, returned earlier this month and second overall pick in the 2025 draft, Dylan Harper, returned from a calf strain that sidelined him for about three weeks. The two, along with Castle and Wemby, have yet to play a game together.

With Castle expected to bounce back against a New Orleans team the Spurs have won twice this season, the silver and black are getting closer to that reality.