Stephon Castle's 2024 Summer League is over. The organization announced the decision prior to Sunday night's game versus the Atlanta Hawks. It's a move that comes with precaution after the San Antonio Spurs' first-round pick sprained his right wrist on Saturday against the Portland Trail Blazers.
It's believed to be a minor injury, but the Spurs aren't taking any chances, according to Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News.
Aside from the fabled number one draft picks throughout their history (David Robinson, Tim Duncan and Victor Wembanyama), Castle is the highest draft pick the team has taken outside of Sean Elliott, who went third overall in 1989.
The Spurs said that a fall caused Castle to suffer the sprain Saturday, in a game in which he led three Spurs in double figures with 22 points. He also accounted five rebounds, four assists and a steal. Though the 83-77 win versus the Blazers marked his first game in the Las Vegas Summer League, it was the former UConn star's third summer game overall.
Stephon Castle's Summer League production
Stephon Castle opened summer play in Sacramento's California Classic. In a 97-65 loss to the Charlotte Hornets, the 6-foot-6 guard scored 12 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out three assists in a performance that featured several highlights.
Trailing 12-4 early in the first quarter, Castle found Tyson Ward in the corner for three to pull within five. On the Silver and Black's next possession, Castle finished in the paint to cut to a 12-9 deficit. Then, with 5:50 left in the third, the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft drained his second three-pointer of the game followed by a trip to the foul line to bring San Antonio within eight. Charlotte held on to to take a 63-47 lead through three before cruising to victory.
After missing the team's second game the next night as the Spurs held him out so he wouldn't play in back-to-back contests, the 19-year-old returned in a match-up against the Chinese National Team.
Castle led three Spurs in double figures with 18 points, six rebounds and five assists. That night, he scored nine first-quarter points to lead San Antonio to a 29-20 advantage at the end of one. Castle and China’s Sanning Liao led all scorers with 13 points in that first half.
That led to Saturday night when the summer Spurs jumped out to a 28-18 lead in the first quarter and held the Trail Blazers to 13 second-quarter points to carry a 20-point lead into halftime. Castle and teammate Nathan Mensah combined for 22 points in the half.
Though a small sample size, the national champion with the Connecticut Huskies flashed why he's more than capable of winning NBA Rookie of the Year with his effective play on both offense and defense.
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