Stephon Castle admits 1 area it still needs to work on

The The San Antonio Spurs made franchise history with a 107-101 victory over the Miami Heat, marking their first 5-0 start ever. Stephen Castle played a key role with 21 points, eight assists and six rebounds in the win.

After the game, Castle opened up around one area his game needs work.

“They talk high about my on-ball defense, but pretty low on my off-ball. So I’m working on that,” Castle said, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic on X .

The admission reveals an honest gap in Castle’s game. His on-ball defense earned him a “lockdown” reputation at the University of Connecticut that carried over to the pros, but he knows his off-ball awareness needs to catch up.

At 6-foot-6 with real physicality, Castle is built to guard the ball. He fights through screens, rotates quickly and uses his length to contest shots without fouling. It’s the foundation that carried the Huskies to a national title and earned him Big East Freshman of the Year honors.

Defending off the ball requires a different skill set. Reading cutters, helping drives and anticipating passes without being directly involved takes time to master. The speed and spacing of the NBA makes that adjustment even more difficult for young guards.

Castle’s offense has been impressive during the undefeated streak. In the first four games, he scored 22 points in two different games and consistently attacked the basket, drawing nearly nine free throw attempts per game. His playmaking was solid, averaging 4.8 assists per game.

The recording numbers show that it is still developing. Castle is shooting just 29.4% from deep and 57.1% at the line coming into Thursday’s game. He also averaged 6.3 turnovers per game as teams trap and pressure him.

Good news? The Spurs defense is already elite, allowing just 103.8 points per game through five games. With Victor Vembanjama protects the rim at nearly five blocks a night, Castle has the freedom to work on his off-ball reads without hurting the team.

At 20, Castle is already self-aware enough to identify his flaws before they become problems. If he can shore up his off-ball defense while maintaining his offensive production, the Spurs’ undefeated start could just be the start of something special.