Yahoo Sports Stephon Castle: NBA draft scouting report and intel
2004 | 6’6 | 6’9 WS | 215 LBS
Team: Connecticut
Best aggregate mock draft rank: 5 / Worst rank: 20
Agency: Wasserman Group
2023-24 stats:
In 32 games, Castle averaged 10.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, with 2.9 assists. He shot 47.0 percent from the field, 26.2 percent from three, and 76.0 percent from the free-throw line. Additionally, he recorded 0.6 blocks, 0.8 steals, and 1.5 turnovers per game.
His father, Stacey Castle, starred at Far Rockaway High and was a teammate of current UConn associate head coach Kimani Young. He played briefly at Oak Hill Academy before committing to Wake Forest, where he played alongside Tim Duncan.
Strengths:
* Large-body guard with scoring, rebounding, and playmaking abilities
* Versatile and coachable, excels in many aspects of the game
* Strong and quick, able to get downhill and finish through contact
* Terrific rebounder for his size and position
* Capable of playing as a starting-level lead guard or a positionless role player
* Solid ballhandler who rarely gets stripped, with good passing and decision-making
* High basketball IQ allows him to play quicker than his actual speed
* Legitimate two-way threat with solid three-point shooting and defensive capabilities
* Versatile defender who guards opposing team’s best players in various roles
* Low-maintenance player with a great feel for the game
Weaknesses:
* Lacks elite athleticism and consistency in jump shot
* Not a true floor general or natural volume scorer
* Needs to be more creative as a scorer and passer
* Uncertainty about true position at the next level
* Needs to improve jump shot consistency and be more confident in shooting
Scotto's draft notes:
“Castle has a bit of a bigger body than Isaiah Collier and is probably a bit better of a defensive player, but I view him as more of a combo guard,” an NBA executive told HoopsHype. “He does a little bit of everything on the court, but you wish he could shoot the ball better and speed up his release. He can pass the ball for a guy at his size.”
“I love Castle, and I think he’s going to be a good player,” another NBA executive told HoopsHype. “His shooting is an issue. He’s strong and can switch defensively. He’s probably one of the better defenders in this draft class. I think he can make an impact directly on that end. He’s a good kid and works hard. He’s a freak athlete. There’s stuff there that you can put into an NBA game, especially if he has shooters around him, so it’s not clunky.”
“I’ve seen Castle’s name up there high in the lottery, and I was a bit shocked,” an NBA executive told HoopsHype. “I saw him last year, and I wouldn’t have believed he’d be a Top 10 pick going into this year, but I’ve been seeing it in mock draft projections. With that said, I can see the allure of him as an NBA player with his size.”
Excerpts from HoopsHype’s Aggregate Mock Draft from colleague Michael Scotto, who contributed research to this story, can be found here.
