Victor Wembanyama is the best player on the San Antonio Spurs (36-16), but the rapid rise of Stephon Castle has completely changed how people perceive the franchise in the present. Ergo, his health is quite important. The 21-year-old guard suffered a pelvic contusion in Tuesday night's matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers (32-20) and will not return to the court, per ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel.

Castle landed hard on the floor after making a spectacular block on Rui Hachimura in the second quarter. He went to the locker room, leaving his status in doubt heading into halftime. Fans now know that the 2024-25 Rookie of the Year will miss the remainder of the contest. Since the NBA All-Star break begins on Feb. 13, the Spurs may want to keep Castle out for Wednesday's game versus the Golden State Warriors, even if he is able to play.

Hopefully, the former top-five draft pick will be healthy after the regular season pause. He raises San Antonio's ceiling to impressive heights.

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Castle scored just two points on one field goal attempt in 12 minutes versus LA but did dish out a stellar seven assists before exiting. Whether he is posting a 40-point triple-double, recording nine steals in a three-game span, showcasing his playmaking skills or hustling on defense, this young talent is constantly contributing to winning basketball.

Stephon Castle was averaging 17.1 points on 46.7 percent shooting to go with 7.0 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals entering Tuesday's game. His 3-point shooting is obviously a weakness — 28.9 percent — but he is an indisputable franchise pillar.

Fortunately, the Spurs handled the severely-shorthanded Lakers just fine without him. Victor Wembanyama torched Los Angeles for 40 points in 26 minutes of action, leading the squad to its fifth consecutive victory. San Antonio will certainly need Castle in the long run, however.

He will try to make a swift recovery and resume his do-it-all role for the Spurs.