Bottom line is, Wemby does not get to the Finals this year without Steph Castle. And I strongly believe that the Rockets get by the Lakers with Castle as our PG.
Drafting Sheppard was inexcusable but we don’t know who’s decision it was. Could have been the Tilmans. Or Witus. If it was him, udoka or some staffer who pushed for that pick then yeah that’s on him for executing it
It seemed like he was everywhere and made so many winning type plays and decisions on both ends. Just incredible
I wholeheartedly am on the Castle line of the fence after this playoff run. But will absolutely admit Reed's timidness is without a doubt because of Ime's inept coaching. No player who is fearful of constantly being benched if they do something wrong will ever thrive or grow. The Spurs coaching staff being the literal opposite to Ime show why they're lightyears ahead of this clown show organisation in every single facet.
lol this is insane you plug trevor ariza in the mix instead and they might even be better I don't know why people think defensive wings are a rarity in the NBA, especially when they can feast off a 7'6" dude that can hit logo 3s
If he’s afraid of being benched then he should play better. Also he got to play in 82 games at 26 min a game and the playoffs. Inferior minded people would let benching affect them instead of motivation to be better.
Ariza did not have great ball handling. Couldn’t get to the paint, no dribble pullup, and was not a playmaker. Let’s stop the misinformation
What made castle better than reed as of now is not his skill but primarily his mental strength : will to win & competitiveness.
I’m a huge UConn fan and Castle fan but let’s be serious… How do you think Reed would look next to Wemby? He shot great from 3 on our team imagine somebody with the gravity of Wemby. now how do you think Castle would look on this team where spacing was already a problem with Reed one of our best shooters. they will both be good players, one is currently in a better situation. Once Reed is in a better situation (her or else where) his game will translate and I hope it’s in HOU
As of right now, if you sub out Castle for Sheppard, OKC is in the finals. Sheppard's shot isn't what it will eventually be when he gains more physical strength. He wasn't making enough 3s to offset his defensive liabilities. In the earlier games in the series, when Fox was recovering from injury, OKC threw Caruso on Castle. Sheppard isn't playoff-ready for that matchup today. He'd be overwhelmed. And McCain would crush him. OKC would have forced switches to expose Sheppard to play D. This would have given the Thunder relief on offense, something to target. If the Rockets had drafted Castle, they could have shipped out Jalen Green immediately (pre-Durant trade) for a higher value. You could see it when UConn won the national championship that Castle was a leader: hard-working and a fantastic team player, a true fit for any winning organization. I will say that Sheppard is skilled, a better athlete than many think, and has potential. He still might grow into a fine player in a couple of years. Maybe, as Fred's backup next year, he can flourish.
Castle is less of a point guard than Reed or Amen. He's a turnover machine. Why do you think they got Fox?
Castle in just his 2nd season during his 1st playoff run 19, 5, and 7 on 48/36/82 splits and 61% TS Reed Sheppard vs Luke Kennard, Rui Hachimura, and the Lakers bottom 10 defense 12, 1, and 5 on 31/30/75 splits and 41% TS not only would Reed Sheppard be barely getting minutes on the Spurs, there’s no fcking way Castle gives us 12 points on 31% shooting vs the Lakers if he was with Rockets
Castle is just a guy. His defense is overrated and he's limited without having a shot. He's poor man's Amen with a lot more turnovers. He's a fine rotation guy, but there's a reason why the spurs traded for Fox and drafter Harper after seeing Castle play.
there’s a reason the Spurs drafted Dylan Harper, the 2nd best player in the draft with tremendous upside, after seeing Castle play Do y’all hear yourselves?
Me and my boys were saying the same thing! I just don't know ANYBODY who know basketball thinking that Reed was a deserving pick over Castle!!
Or how about this, if the Spurs truly thought they need more shooting after seeing Castle play, then they take Knueppel. lulz, Spurs passed on the best 3PT shooting rookie ever, who’s also a playmaker … bc they thought Wemby needs more shooting.
He is also longer, stronger, and has better handles. I think he has better court awareness as well. Sheppard does 1 thing better, shoot 3’s. People are also presuming Reed is going to get magnitudes better and Castle has already peaked. There is no comparison between the 2. Castle is the better player now and in all likelihood in the future.
That’s why I’m thinking foul play. NBA wanted Spurs to have these players from Victor to Castle to Harper
