By Mateo Mayorga / Pounding The Rock, 2026-09-07 01:34:58
在当家超级巨星之后，现代NBA最重要的是什么？比利·克里斯托 (Billy Crystal) 或许会说“这是个千古难题”，但回顾那些经受住考验的劲旅或极速崛起的球队时，答案便愈发明朗。
圣安东尼奥马刺队的建队模式正是后者，这得益于他们的天赋储备，加之他们拥有一个甘愿承担最艰巨任务的人：斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle)。任何看过他在2023-24赛季康涅狄格大学比赛的人，大概都能预见到他必将拥有出色的职业生涯，这不仅源于他的技术，更在于他胸膛中跳动着的那颗非凡的好胜心。而迄今为止，事实证明他们完全正确。
卡斯尔刚进入联盟时并没有立刻惊艳全场，三分投射不够高效，有时在进攻端也抓不准发力的时机。然而，就像《低俗小说》里马塞勒斯·华莱士 (Marsellus Wallace) 的公文包打开时迸发出的光芒一样，在他生涯第10场比赛中，他的价值彻底显现——主场以一分之差惜败犹他爵士队的比赛中，他在第四节独得10分。
那是他首次在比赛决胜阶段得分上双，让人隐约看到了未来的曙光。短短几周内，人们便觉得尽管他尚显稚嫩，但也理应获得首发位置，但马刺通常不会轻易交出首发权。在某些夜晚，当他仅得个位数或错失篮下简单得分时，可能很难看清他的全部价值，但这正是为什么人们必须坚定自己的篮球哲学。
他带着成年男人的强壮力量进入联盟，所以即便在那时也能轻易看出，只要增加磨砺并改善出手动作，进攻端的短板就会得到修正。此外，他还得到了克里斯·保罗 (Chris Paul) 的认可，这位未来的名人堂成员曾表示他们有着相同的好胜天性。值得一提的是，卡斯尔在次年继承了保罗的一些顶级特质，在球队等待达龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 从腿筋伤势中康复期间，他很早就展现了这些特质。
在新秀赛季我对卡斯尔评价极高的部分原因在于，当维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 因血栓缺阵后，他通过承担更大的角色，让马刺剩余的赛季依然充满看点。谢天谢地卡斯尔挺身而出，因为球迷对缺乏竞争力的容忍度毕竟有限。他在赛季末段的发力也确保了他斩获年度最佳新秀奖项。
当时，他迅速进步的迹象之一是，他的球权使用率有所提升，且有效投篮命中率甚至比文班在场时略高一点。此外，在2024-25赛季他们还留下了许多未竟的事业，当时两人各为对方送出了60次助攻。当球迷回首往事，他们见证了“51区”的崛起，随着两人互相传球频率的增加，这对组合在接下来的赛季迅速进入状态。有了彼此的支援，两人的得分都变得更加轻松。
卡斯尔在新秀赛季接到文班的传球得分效率并不是很高，因为他有时出手仓促，勇猛地强行杀入人堆，并且在面对更快速的防守轮转时还没有完全适应。对于年轻球员来说，这些都很正常。
尽管如此，我依然没想到他第二年能打得这么好，这也是让2025-26赛季如此特别的原因之一。他的场均得分提升了2分，有效命中率提高了4.5个百分点，助攻数更是暴涨了80%。他提高远投命中率的方法之一是增加了接球投篮的比重，但这方面仍需继续打磨。
在季后赛中，他在第二轮不仅要在外线盯防，还要负责对位防守朱利叶斯·兰德尔 (Julius Randle)。他的全能性让他成为了一名机动性极强的防守哨兵。
资深NBA球迷通常眼光敏锐。在圣安东尼奥之外，很难说他们如何看待卡斯尔，但我冒昧地给他做了一份排名。这个过程包括审视每支球队的阵容，并写下我会排在他前面的球员名单。想想看，每支争冠球队都需要像他这样的人去防守对方最好的外线球员，而在NBA中，能够做到这一点同时每晚还能贡献15分的球员不超过20人。卡斯尔就是其中之一，在这份榜单上排在他前面的只有25个名字（见文末）。
在2025-26赛季有39名球员场均得分高于他（出战至少65场），且他的三分球命中率（33.2%）仍低于联盟平均水准，但这无伤大雅。赢球需要全面的身手，而这正是马刺正在塑造的方向。
我的篮球哲学认为防守和篮板是赢得总冠军最重要的基石，这也是为什么我会把朱·霍勒迪 (Jrue Holiday) 排在达米安·利拉德 (Damian Lillard) 之前。出于同样的理由，卡斯尔有点像升级版的霍勒迪，比起许多名气更大的球星，他更是一位能带来胜利的球员。别忘了，他在2025-26赛季距离入选最佳防守阵容二阵仅差4分。
尽管技术尚存瑕疵，但他距离最佳阵容级别的球员已然不远。当米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 教练在他新秀赛季称赞他“全盘接纳了我们交付给他的一切挑战”时，这让我想起拳击推广人坚称他们的潜力新星终将成为冠军的场景——而我坚信不疑。
List, in no order:
- 谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大 (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander)
- 杰伦·威廉姆斯 (Jalen Williams)
- 尼古拉·约基奇 (Nikola Jokić)
- 卢卡·东契奇 (Luka Dončić)
- 安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards)
- 凯文·杜兰特 (Kevin Durant)
- 德尼·阿夫迪亚 (Deni Avdija)
- 科怀·伦纳德 (Kawhi Leonard)
- 斯蒂芬·库里 (Stephen Curry)
- 蔡恩·威廉森 (Zion Williamson)
- 凯德·坎宁安 (Cade Cunningham)
- 杰森·塔图姆 (Jayson Tatum)
- 杰伦·布朗 (Jaylen Brown)
- 泰雷斯·马克西 (Tyrese Maxey)
- 杰伦·约翰逊 (Jalen Johnson)
- 保罗·班凯罗 (Paolo Banchero)
- 扬尼斯·阿德托昆博 (Giannis Antetokounmpo)
- 泰雷斯·哈利伯顿 (Tyrese Haliburton)
- 帕斯卡尔·西亚卡姆 (Pascal Siakam)
- 斯科蒂·巴恩斯 (Scottie Barnes)
- 杰伦·布伦森 (Jalen Brunson)
- OG·阿奴诺比 (OG Anunoby)
- 卡尔-安东尼·唐斯 (Karl-Anthony Towns)
- 安东尼·戴维斯 (Anthony Davis)
- 多诺万·米切尔 (Donovan Mitchell)
由生成式 AI 翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
查看原文：Stephon Castle’s rise from intriguing prospect to winner
Stephon Castle’s rise from intriguing prospect to winner
After the big-time star player, what matters most in the modern NBA? Billy Crystal might say that “is a question for the ages,” yet the picture gets clearer when reviewing some of the proven teams or the ones that have ascended at rapid speed.
The San Antonio Spurs’ build fits the latter category because of their talent, plus they’ve had someone committed to doing the hardest jobs: Stephon Castle. Anyone who watched him at UConn in 2023-24 probably knew he was bound to have a great pro career because of his skills and the special something beating in his chest. And they are correct so far.
Castle wasn’t setting the league on fire out of the gate, being an ineffective 3-point shooter and being unsure of when to assert himself offensively at times. Yet his value illuminated like the lights coming out of Marsellus Wallace’s briefcase in Pulp Fiction 10 games into his career when he dropped 10 points in the fourth quarter of a one-point loss at home against the Utah Jazz.
That was his first time scoring in double figures late and it felt like a glimpse of the future. Then within a handful weeks, it felt like he should have been starting despite being green, but the Spurs don’t usually hand things over quickly. On some nights, it may have been difficult to see his full value when he scored in single digits or missed easy ones at the rim, but this is why one must be entrenched in their basketball philosophy.
He came into the league with grown-man strength, so it was easy to tell, even then, that offensive shortcomings would be corrected with added reps and improved mechanics. On top of that, he had Chris Paul’s approval and the future Hall-of-Famer had said they share the same competitive nature. Notably, Castle inherited some of Paul’s best qualities the next year, showing them early as the team waited for De’Aaron Fox to rehab from his hamstring injury.
Part of the reason I thought so highly of Castle as a rookie was that he found a way to make the rest of the Spurs’ season fun by taking on a bigger role after Victor Wembanyama went down with a blood clot. Thank goodness Castle did because there’s only so many years fans can take of not being competitive. His late-season push secured his Rookie of the Year award, too.
At that time, one of the signs that he was improving quickly was that his usage was higher and so was his effective field goal percentage (slightly) than when Wemby was playing. Additionally, lots of unfinished business was left on the table in 2024-25 as they had both assisted each other 60 times. When fans look back on it, they saw the rise of Area 51, which hit the ground running the next season as both players increased their pass frequency to each other. Each of them started scoring more easily with help.
Castle, particularly, as a rookie was not very efficient when scoring on passes from Wemby because he would rush some shots, boldly try to maneuver through traffic and he hadn’t gotten completely comfortable against faster coverages. None of that is abnormal for a youngster.
Still, I didn’t think he’d be that good the next year and that’s part of what made the 2025-26 season so special. His points-per-game average increased by two, his EFG percentage went up by 4.5 points, and he recorded 80 percent extra assists. One of the ways he was able to raise his deep-shooting percentage was by taking more shots off the catch but it still needs more work.
In the playoffs, he was seen guarding up against Julius Randle in round two as well as being on the perimeter. His versatility makes him a mobile sentry.
The average committed NBA fan is generally sharp. Outside of San Antonio, it’s hard to say how he is viewed by them, but I took the liberty of ranking him. The process included reviewing the rosters of every team and writing down the names of the players I would take before him. Consider how every championship team needs someone like him to defend the other team’s best perimeter player and that there aren’t 20 ballers in the NBA who will do that and score 15 points nightly. Castle is one of those guys, and there were only 25 names before his on the list (see at the bottom).
It matters little that 39 players scored more per game (minimum of 65 games) in 2025-26 and that he’s still a below-average 3-point shooter (33.2). Winning requires having an all-round game and that’s what the Spurs are molding.
My basketball philosophy states that defense and rebounding are the most important ingredients to winning a championship, and that’s why I’d pick Jrue Holiday before Damian Lillard. That’s also the same reason why Castle, who is sort of like an upgraded version of Holiday, is more of a winning player than a lot of popular guys. Keep in mind that he was four points shy of being on second team All-Defense in 2025-26.
Despite his game’s imperfections, he’s not far off from being an All-NBA-level player. When coach Mitch Johnson praised him as a rookie, saying he “embraced everything we’ve thrown at him,” it reminded me of the times fight promoters, proclaimed their prospect would be champion, and I believed them.
List, in no order:
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Jalen Williams
- Nikola Jokić
- Luka Dončić
- Anthony Edwards
- Kevin Durant
- Deni Avdija
- Kawhi Leonard
- Stephen Curry
- Zion Williamson
- Cade Cunningham
- Jayson Tatum
- Jaylen Brown
- Tyrese Maxey
- Jalen Johnson
- Paolo Banchero
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Tyrese Haliburton
- Pascal Siakam
- Scottie Barnes
- Jalen Brunson
- OG Anunoby
- Karl-Anthony Towns
- Anthony Davis
- Donovan Mitchell
By Mateo Mayorga / Pounding The Rock