Can Stephon Castle make the finals? How the Spurs’ second-year star set the tone against the Knicks

After the Spurs took Game 3, my mind was stuck on what Dylan Harper said about Stephon Castle, who hit two clutch free throws to seal a 115-111 victory on Monday.

Harper was asked by ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt about what makes his teammate smile. He replied: “Nothing.”

Stick to me. Let’s think about what Castle’s performance means for Spurs throughout the season. The drives spoke for themselves, the play continued to grow and the defense announced itself every time. Imagine how in one playoff tournament he took this skill and knocked on the door of history. Check out the players with the most 15+ point, 5+ rebound, 5+ assist playoff games in NBA history before turning 22 years old: Magic Johnson is No. 1 on the list with 11, LeBron James is third with 9, and Castle is second with 10.

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Back to the smiling part. When Spurs were thrashed 2-0, Castle himself delivered some eyebrows-raising highlights. He emphasized confidence in Spurs, and that they should have won both games. Being beaten 2-0 in the final was “not something Spurs could handle.”

He didn’t just back that up with a 23-5-5 performance in Game 3. He did it in front of a New York crowd waiting to see the Knicks reach Finals glory for the first time in 27 years. He set the tone, then took the game away from them at the end.

Castle may not be smiling, but his competitive desire to win has made sure that the Knicks and their fans will walk away from Game 3 muttering, “I have nothing to smile about in my life.”

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While a lot of spin and drag at Spurs surrounds the play of Victor Wembanyama, remember: Wemby again Castle became the first teammates age 22 or younger to score 20+ points in an NBA Finals game. Many will point to Black’s aggressiveness and mentality, his improved stats in the pick-and-roll, and his ability to get into the paint more and find ways to get off rolls. But I raise a question:

How did you get there?

The Spurs’ guards were finally able to match the Knick’s big pick-and-roll. And in my eyes, it was Castle who set that tone early and often in Game 3. Let’s take a look.

Castle’s offensive influence

The Spurs have had to work to find consistency in the yard and in the pick, and find ways to put pressure on both Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. The Knicks have been getting comfortable with weaker defenders marking Wemby early and taking away his rolls. Their wings were able to rotate and move back in front of the drives, allowing the large ones to release very quickly from Wemby rolling.

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In Game 3, Castle did the work early. Driving in one direction to set the space to exit the screen. Reading the space and understanding if KAT was blocking him from turning the corner, meant Wemby was somewhere in the paint. Work to keep the full-back behind him, get more involved, force the weak side to hold and make the right pass out of it.

Spurs used a V (or High Horns) action with Wembanyama and a rising wing to check Castle. The idea is to allow the Castle room to attack the space up and down. But the Knicks did a great job of containing the drive, marking the roll and taking options off the table. Castle and Wembanyama answered that in Game 3.

Setting tight screens forced overs, and Castle attacked KAT’s drop and got him involved. That forced the underdogs to hold and opened up options for the Spurs: kick De’Aaron Fox, who can’t drive a closeout; getting Wembanyama somewhere in the paint if KAT catches up low; or using patience to go with a burst of speed against the full turbo button and finish with paint.

One thing to keep an eye on going forward in this series is how Castle learns on the floor and the Knicks defense. The more comfort he has in changing speeds, learning where the defense helps and kicking on the perimeter, the more balance the Spurs can have on the court.

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Whether the Knicks post assists on drives or early tags from the weak spot, it’s good for the Spurs to look to make those plays in the middle court.

Castle’s defensive effect

It’s not easy to set the tone on both ends of the floor, but that’s what Castle brings to the table for San Antonio.

Castle provides full court pressure on Brunson. As the Knicks try to shake Wembanyama off the board and get things going wrong, he works to get them in the middle. If you want to get to Brunson/KAT P&R, it might be 16 on the clock. And there might not be a screen because Castle might fight.

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Those same efforts set the tone for the Spurs in the third quarter, dampening the heat the Knicks brought in the second quarter. The critical kill turned into a deflection, and the rest of the Knicks were asked to start the offense.

The screen movement from Castle is also huge for a Spurs team that needs to look different in this Knicks offense.

Being able to fight over a screen, stay with the ball carrier, pass the drive and then back to Towns pop is a subtle way to take away the auto-learn. Spurs can stay at home and not worry about being overpowered as Castle work to recover for the competition.

Castle’s run to the top in Game 3 was momentous. The big 3-pointer will likely be added to the Spurs’ (seemingly endless) loop of dagger 3s. The block on Brunson’s drive in the fourth was more key than people realize. And he made a free throw to push the lead back to four in the final seconds. Castle talked the talk, backed it up and now … he has to do it again.

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I’m sure many will appreciate Castle’s statement that he expects Spurs to win three in a row. The part that may have been missed is that he said they will have to do it game by game to take down the Knicks.

If the Spurs are going to even this series and win the title, Castle will have to put their stamp on each game going forward. He will have to go from a tone setter to a consistent presence. Moats are not built to last forever, the best thing you can do is keep digging.