San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle has the daunting assignment of defending two of the top leading scorers in the Los Angeles Lakers, All-Star Luka Doncic, and the Oklahoma City Thunder's All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Whenever the Spurs face either the Lakers or the Thunder, it's his responsibility to stay in front of the NBA's leading scorers. Castle's one of the league's most promising guards due to his impressive two-way game.
He stuffs the stat sheet as a scorer and an efficient playmaker on one end of the floor, who can defend at a high level on the other. Castle talked about defending Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander in their respective Spurs matchups against the Lakers and Thunder, per ESPN's NBA Today.
“I take a lot of pride in that. I ask for those matchups. I wouldn't want it any other way. I feel like I can be one of the best perimeter defenders in the league,” Castle said. “Day in and day out, I'm just trying to prove that.”
"I take a lot of pride in that… I ask for those matchups. I wouldn't want it any other way. I feel like I can be one of the best perimeter defenders in the league."
Stephon Castle on what it’s like defending Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic 🗣️pic.twitter.com/JgigTeCfxW
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 14, 2026
Castle played a significant role in the Spurs' three consecutive victories over the Thunder in 12 days in December, including their Christmas Day showdown, which turned into a blowout win. Gilgeous-Alexander was held to 22 points on 7-of-19 shooting, including 1-for-6 from deep. In only his second season, Castle is having a breakout campaign for the Spurs.
In a 138-125 win against the Dallas Mavericks, he made NBA history in becoming the youngest NBA player to record a 40/12/12 triple-double. He finished with 40 points, 12 assists, 12 rebounds, three steals, and one block.
Harrison Barnes on Spurs' Stephon Castle All-Star consideration
While Warriors All-Star Stephen Curry recovers from a knee injury e NBA's big weekend, Spurs veteran forward Harrison Barnes says Stephon Castle deserved All-Star consideration to replace SGA. Barnes also endorsed the other half of the Spurs' backcourt in De'Aaron Fox as another option.
Considering the Spurs have the second-best record in the Western Conference, Barnes says either guard should replace Curry.
“It would be criminal if him [Castle] and Fox didn’t get a look. We’re No. 2 in the West,” Barnes said. “I think for what we’ve done, for the teams that are below us that had two All-Stars, I don’t know a case if we’re talking about impact on winning and playing high-level basketball, why either of them shouldn’t be selected and/or highly under consideration for those spots.”
Harrison Barnes advocated that at least one of his two Spurs teammates should have been named an All-Star alternate for Steph Curry:
"It'd be criminal if [Stephon Castle] and [De'Aaron] Fox didn't get a look. … For what we've done, for the teams that have been below us that… pic.twitter.com/Xjf3Fk9uz0
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 11, 2026
Although the NBA announced Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram to replace Curry, De'Aaron Fox will replace Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo in Sunday's All-Star
