Inside The Spurs

'No Nonsense': Undermanned Spurs Glad to Have 'Tough' Stephon Castle Back in Lineup

The San Antonio Spurs aren't at full strength yet, but adding Stephon Castle back to the rotation is a strong start and a testament to the rookie's toughness.

Matt Guzman

Dec 5, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) after being fouled during the second half at Frost Bank Center.
Dec 5, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) after being fouled during the second half at Frost Bank Center. / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
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SAN ANTONIO — After a relatively healthy start to the season, save for a major portion of missed time for Jeremy Sochan after he fractured his thumb in November, the San Antonio Spurs were thrown through the wringer.

Second-year star Victor Wembanyama sat out a pair of contests to begin December along with Devin Vassell, who also missed nine games to begin the season, and once they returned in the subsequent contests, the timeline for Tre Jones' shoulder sprain was still ongoing.

Against the New Orleans Pelicans, Zach Collins, Keldon Johnson, Stephon Castle and Wembanyama all made up a rotating wheel of injuries that bled into the Spurs' road contest against the Portland Trail Blazers.

READ MORE: Statuses for Victor Wembanyama, Keldon Johnson and More

That game, Castle missed his first NBA contest and scratched his perfect attendance, though it only made the young team appreciate his impact even more.

"He's a tough kid," Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson said. "Very tough kid."

Returning home to face the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Silver & Black will still be shorthanded, but they'll receive some aid in the form of Castle, who was cleared to play a couple of hours prior to tipoff.

Naturally, that was positive news for Johnson and the Spurs.

"It's always nice to get guys back," the coach said. "We'll continue to try to put some continuity together and focus on the things we've been focusing on."

San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) dribbles against New Orleans Pelicans center Trey Jemison III (55).
Dec 8, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) dribbles against New Orleans Pelicans center Trey Jemison III (55) in the second half at Frost Bank Center. / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

As that effort progresses, the Spurs will continue to bring back their key pieces to the lineup in hopes of a seamless transition back to "normal," though earning wins without them will continue to be the best-case scenario.

San Antonio might not be back to full strength yet, but Castle is a start.

A positive one, too.

"He's been thrown in the fire," Johnson admitted. "Asked to a lot of different things, (but) he's physical. No nonsense."

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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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