The San Antonio Spurs have ruled out No. 4 overall pick Stephon Castle for the remainder of Las Vegas Summer League due to a sprained wrist, the team announced on Sunday. There is no long-term concern for Castle, but the Spurs are understandably playing it safe with their latest lottery pick.
"I feel like they have my best interests in mind," Castle said. "I feel like it's smart to take the caution route."
Castle was injured late in the fourth quarter of his Summer League debut on Saturday night, which he finished with 22 points, five rebounds and four assists. With three minutes remaining, Castle went up to contest a shot and had his legs taken out from under him by his own teammate. Unable to brace himself, he crashed to the ground and landed on his right arm. Despite the scary fall, he was able to remain on the court for the remainder of the game.
This is an unfortunate turn of events for Castle, but the good news is that he'll be ready to go come training camp. Even if he hadn't been injured, it's unlikely that he would have played too much more in Vegas given how good he looked in his debut and the Spurs' overall philosophy.
While we didn't get to see much of Castle, that one game was an indication that the Spurs made the right decision with the fourth pick. Head coach and president Gregg Popovich certainly thinks so.
Gregg Popovich on Stephon Castle:
— Storrs Central (@StorrsCentral) July 14, 2024
“He’s gonna be a quick study I think and get to play on the court quickly.” pic.twitter.com/YM2Qd5Og9S
"I love his seriousness for such a young kid," Popovich said. "I love his pace -- you see his expression never changes -- he doesn't go too fast, he doesn't go too slow, he reads the situations. The more minutes he gets, the better he's gonna be. He seeks contact, he's an excellent defender and he makes wonderful decisions. He's gonna be a quick study I think and get to play on the court quickly."
During his freshman season at UConn, Castle averaged 11.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists, and helped the Huskies win their second conescutive national championship.
Castle spoke with CBS Sports last week during the California Classic and explained why he and new teammate Victor Wembanyama will be "scary for the league."
