Stephon Castle’s Offensive IQ Is Way Too Polished For A Rookie!

Stephon Castle’s Offensive IQ Is Way Too Polished For A Rookie!

let’s open this video off with the Spurs running a classic double drag pick and roll for Castle in this action the first screener rolls hard to the rim while the second flares out to the three-point line now why run this specific play simple castle’s primary defender is Jimmy Butler one of the better perimeter defenders in the league but look closely at the Spurs’ lineup on this possession there’s not a single traditional big on the floor that gives Draymond the freedom to guard a wing or guard instead of being tethered to a big in the paint and here he’s matched up with Kell Johnson why Kell because outside of Castle Kell is the least threatening shooter on the floor knocking down just 31.8% of his threes so what does that mean if Kell isn’t involved in the action Draymond can sag way off him and wreak havoc as a helper clogging the lane tagging rollers and protecting the rim but by pulling Draymond into the action the Spurs neutralize the Warriors best help defender with Green occupied the responsibility of rim protection now falls to Pods and Steph far from ideal and that’s not all with Golden State switching everything with this smaller lineup the Spurs real goal is to engineer a one-on-one matchup between Castle and Healed by the end of the action and they get it but the brilliance of this play goes beyond just targeting Healed as I mentioned earlier the first screener Kell rolls hard to the rim dragging Butler with him meanwhile the second screener Champenny pops out to the three-point line pulling Draymond away from the paint now with the Warriors best rim protector stuck on the perimeter guarding a 37.1% three-point shooter Draymond is forced into a dilemma help off Champenny and risk giving up a clean look from deep or stay home and leave the paint unprotected that indecision is exactly what opens the door for Castle with Heel guarding him at the point of attack and Curry glued to Chris Paul a 37.7% shooter from deep on the strong side Castle is left with a green light he breaks Heel down with a few quick dribble moves gets downhill and finishes at the rim simple action just a standard double drag but the brilliance lies in the details the spacing the screeners and the matchup manipulation it all adds up to a wideopen bucket and this isn’t just a one-time play they trust Castle with this same double drag setup late in games too in another game Golden State decides to avoid switching to keep Looney from being stranded on an island against Castle instead Butler goes under the screen daring Castle to pull up on paper it’s a smart gamble castle hit just 25.2% of his pull-up threes this season but this time he buries it but what really stands out about this play isn’t just that Castle made the shot it’s the confidence it took to even attempt it something we will bring up again near the end of this video as a rookie and one who hasn’t exactly been lighting it up from deep this season that kind of self-belief speaks volumes confidence is the foundation of any developing shooter and it’s why I firmly believe that if Castle puts in the work this off season we could see a major leap in his perimeter game next year now here’s the interesting part why are the Spurs even running these kinds of actions for him whether it’s a double drag screen or a standard pick and roll it’s all designed to play to Castle’s strength his driving ability over a third of his total points this season came from drives that’s his bread and butter but here’s where it gets a little tricky while I mentioned that Castle’s driving game is his strength it is also ironically his weakness sounds confusing right let me explain there are two key components to any successful drive getting to the rim and finishing at the rim castle is excellent at the first part he gets downhill breaks through defenses creates chaos but the second part that’s where the trouble begins he just hasn’t been converting those looks at a high rate among all Spurs players who’ve attempted at least 20 shots on drives this season Castle ranks second to last converting just 43.1% of those attempts with Champenny being the only player below him that puts Castle not just near the bottom of his own team but among the league’s least efficient high volume drivers even when you narrow it down to just finishing in the paint Castle still ranks in the bottom four on the Spurs simply put his shotmaking on drives has been a real weakness but here’s where things get interesting despite the poor finishing numbers Castle’s driving game still finds success just in a different way among all players this season with at least 100 ISO possessions no one has drawn fouls at a higher rate than Castle let that sink in castle drew fouls on a staggering 20.7% of his ISO possessions that’s a higher rate than Harden Jaw Luca Sheay and Brunson all of them known for their elite foul drawing ability now some fans might argue that drawing fouls isn’t pure basketball and that it’s a way of gaming the system but in Castle’s case it speaks to something real his speed defenders just can’t stay in front of him when he decides to put his head down and drive they’re forced to reach in bump or hack because they’re simply outmatched and that’s the key dynamic here castle usually doesn’t get the opponent’s top defender sometimes not even the second best because teams naturally focus on higher offensive threats like Fox Vel or Wemi as a result Castle often draws weaker matchups these defenders might sag off him daring him to shoot from deep since he isn’t a major threat from three and try to use that cushion to contain his drives but what these defenders gain in spacing they lose in discipline and footwork and when Castle explodes downhill that lack of control becomes costly they can’t stay in front of him and more often than not they’re left with no choice but to foul here the Spurs are pushing in transition castle receives the pass but instead of forcing a drive on Fron he smartly pulls it back why because he sees Paulo already lurking near the rim in help position so Castle resets the possession and now finds himself in an ISO matchup against Fron statistically among the players currently on the court Fron is the Magic’s weakest ISO defender giving up 1.01 points per possession in those situations castle knows that help defense is unlikely to come from the strongside corner where Cory Joseph is parked joseph isn’t about to leave Vel wide open in the corner a 43.4% threepoint shooter from that exact spot so Castle makes his move and attacks the strong side knowing the Magic can’t afford to rotate over watch how quickly he goes at Fron the sudden burst catches Fron off guard and he instinctively reaches in to try and slow Castle down that’s all the invitation Castle needs he feels the contact goes straight up through it and earns the and one fast forward to a similar situation this time Castle is matched up against Sam Merrill he notices Sohan drifting toward the strongside corner and signals him to clear out trying to create a one-on-one scenario with Merrill if Sohan were to be parked in the strong side corner Javvante Green would most likely sag off him and offer help on Castle’s drive since Sohan isn’t much of a three-point threat with the side cleared Castle attacks Merryill on the drive and just like before the defender reaches in to stop the penetration castle absorbs the contact elevates through it and once again gets the bucket plus the foul in the first clip Castle wisely pulls back instead of forcing the transition recognizing in real time that it wasn’t the right play for that moment then on the next clip he shows another layer of maturity unlike the previous play this time he signals for Sohan to clear the strong side fully aware of his three-point limitations that kind of awareness and decision-making is incredibly underrated and rarely gets the appreciation it deserves but the most impressive part is that it is all coming from a rookie a rookie who’s still just scratching the surface of his potential that’s why even though Castle still has room to grow offensively it’s his feel for the game and elite basketball IQ two of the hardest things for young players to master that make him so trustworthy moving forward that’s what gives you real confidence that Castle can eventually grow into a reliable offensive option and when you pair that with how phenomenal he’s already been on defense this season it’s easy to imagine him becoming one of the best two-way players in the league i actually broke down his defense in detail in a previous video so if you haven’t seen that yet go ahead and click the link in the top right corner but for now it’s clear Castle has the tools to become a great player in this league it’s going to be exciting to watch how his off season work translates into real games next year but until then as always thank you for tuning in i appreciate all the love and support and I can’t wait to break down more film with you next time castle by one defender by two oh Castle

Stephon Castle’s Offensive IQ Is Way Too Polished For A Rookie!

What’s in today’s video?

Timestamps :
0:00 – Intro
3:06 – Why Castle’s Downhill Scoring Is A Core Of His Game
4:28 – How Castle Leads The League In Foul-Drawing Rate On ISOs
5:45 – Why Castle’s Basketball IQ Sets Him Apart From Other Rookies

Stephon Castle has quickly become one of the most intriguing offensive pieces in San Antonio’s system—despite shooting just 25.2% on pull-up threes. His ability to pressure the rim, manipulate matchups, and make high-level reads in pick-and-roll sets is already turning heads across the league.

One action the Spurs have leaned on heavily? The double drag. It’s a deceptively simple set, but when run with Castle at the helm, it becomes a masterclass in spacing, screening, and matchup exploitation. Whether it’s dragging Draymond Green away from the rim, forcing Jimmy Butler to chase through traffic, or isolating weaker defenders like Buddy Hield or Sam Merrill, Castle consistently finds ways to create high-percentage looks.

Yet for all his offensive flashes, Castle still struggles with efficiency at the rim—finishing just 43.1% of his drives, one of the lowest marks on the team. But what makes him fascinating is how he still manages to generate value: by drawing fouls at an elite rate. Among all players with at least 100 isolation possessions, no one draws contact more frequently than Castle.

In this breakdown, we’ll take a closer look at how the Spurs use double drag actions to weaponize Castle’s strengths, how he balances poor finishing with elite foul-drawing, and what his growing feel and decision-making mean for his future as a two-way star. We’ll also explore the subtle brilliance in his reads, spacing awareness, and how the Spurs are building his game from the ground up.

With Castle’s defensive prowess already well-documented, the big question now is how far his offensive development can go. Could we be witnessing the rise of one of the league’s next great two-way guards? Let’s break it all down.

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Footage in this video is owned by the NBA and its partners. It is intended for critique and education.

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