SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Spurs' Stephon Castle has yet to play an official NBA game, but coach Gregg Popovich is already praising the guard.
The Spurs' No. 4 pick says he has already spoken with the long-time head coach and has shown him how much confidence he has in the young pro.
“With the talks that I’ve had with him already, he seems to speak very highly of me. I have a lot of respect for him. And I mean, he just wants me to come out here and play with confidence,” Castle said to Uproxx. “So, I’ve been doing that, and for a coach like that to tell me that, it kind of instills a lot of confidence in me too."
Throughout the Summer League play (Sacramento and Las Vegas), it is easy to see why Pop praises Castle.
In his lone game in Las Vegas, Castle scored 22 points, four assists, and five rebounds in 29 minutes against the Blazers.
In two games at the California Classic, he averaged 15.0 points per game, including 36% field-goal shooting, six rebounds, and four assists.
During Castle's last game in Vegas, coach Popovich shared his thoughts on the newest Spur.
"I love his seriousness for such a young kid. I love his pace," Popovich said. "You see, his expression never changes, and he doesn't go too fast; he doesn't go too slow. He reads the situations. He's going to be a quick study, I think, and get to play on the court pretty quickly."
Castle's contributions to the team will be interesting to see unfold.
His defense is NBA-ready, and offensively, he will be able to contribute immediately.
His rookie season will have learning moments, but his future is bright. Having a Hall of Fame coach guide him will also benefit Castle's development.
"Just to be able to play for him in my rookie year and learn from a coach like that super early on is super exciting for what my future will look like," he said.
And Popovich isn't the only Spur Castle is speaking with ahead of the new season.
He's been connecting with Chris Paul since he officially became his San Antonio teammate and is picking his brain on how to improve.
"I've been connecting with CP3 since they announced he's coming to the Spurs," he said. "He's probably one of the best point guards to ever play in the league."