Hornets will still consider Stephon Castle at No. 6 amidst his point guard desires
By Evan Sidery
Stephon Castle wants to play point guard in the NBA, but his desires do not appear to be deterring potentially inserted teams.
According to a league source, the Hornets will still consider selecting Castle at No. 6 overall after his comments at the NBA Scouting Combine. Castle is among a group of five or six prospects expected to be under serious consideration from Charlotte once they’re on the clock.
During his lone collegiate season at Connecticut, Castle averaged 11.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals/blocks per game. Throughout UConn’s run to a championship in the NCAA Tournament, Castle took on a more aggressive offensive role amassing 12.5 points while shooting 49.1 percent overall.
The appeal for Castle potentially being drafted by the Hornets is his projected snug fit in between LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller in their backcourt. Thanks to Castle’s strengths as an elite defender and tertiary playmaker, he presents one of the most translatable skillsets for an instant-impact prospect at No. 6. Although Castle’s shooting stroke is questionable at best, that weakness in his arsenal would be properly insulated alongside Charlotte’s primary building blocks in Ball and Miller.
Sure, Castle wants to become a primary point guard, which he let be known in interviews with teams, but is it really in his best interest long-term? Castle is viewed more as a wing than a lead guard, drawing comparisons to the energetic, do-it-all Josh Hart. That type of comparison for Castle is more realistic compared to being a Marcus Smart archetype on the next level. The further we get into the modern pace-and-space NBA, non-shooting point guards are becoming more nonexistent each year.
“I feel my true position is point guard, and I feel the last few months I had to sacrifice for the betterment of the team,” Castle said in Chicago at the combine.
Again, that is Castle’s hope is to land in a situation where he can become a team’s starting point guard. However, those options in the lottery are few and far between. Castle potentially refusing workouts with interested teams who have point guards already in place would leave only three realistic destinations: Washington Wizards (No. 2), San Antonio Spurs (Nos. 4 and 8) and Utah Jazz (No. 10).
Under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, prospects can’t really force themselves into their ideal destination either. All of the teams picking in the lottery possess Castle’s medical information and other intel.
If Charlotte feels Castle is the ideal piece to the puzzle, they won’t hesitate drafting him at No. 6. And all indications are he remains under heavy consideration to eventually be the Hornets’ top choice.
Stay tuned to Swarm & Sting for all the latest insider information throughout an important offseason ahead in Charlotte.