The San Antonio Spurs will face the New York Knicks in a rematch of the NBA Cup Final on Wednesday, December 31, but they may be without one of their best players.
Stephon Castle is listed as questionable with a left thumb sprain on the official injury report. The guard had 15 points, four rebounds and eight assists in a 113-101 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, December 29.
Castle is following up his Rookie of the Year campaign with a solid second season in the NBA, averaging 18.5 points, five rebounds and seven assists while shooting 50.3% from the field and 27.4% from three. Defensively, he averages 1.3 steals per game and usually guards the opponents best perimeter player.
Is Stephon Castle Playing Tonight?
Castle missed nine games earlier this year with a left hip flexor strain, but he appears to have picked up this thumb injury more recently. He did not have a great shooting night on Monday — going 5-13 from the field and 0-3 from downtown — and this ailment may have had something to do with it.
San Antonio won’t take any chances with Castle against the Knicks if he is not feeling 100%. The team will likely evaluate him in pregame warmups and then make a final decision on his status.
The Spurs are still plenty deep at guard tonight with Dylan Harper and De’Aaron Fox, who returned to the lineup Monday after missing a game against the Utah Jazz on Saturday, December 27.
San Antonio Spurs Deep Backcourt
Castle has been a key piece of San Antonio’s young back court, which also includes Harper and Devin Vassell, who is out for tonight’s game with a left adductor strain. The guards have helped San Antonio to the second best record in the Western Conference (the Spurs are also 3-0 this season against the defending NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder).
The rookie Harper is averaging 11.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting 46% from the field and 25.9 % from three. A sixth-year player, Vassell is averaging 15 points, four rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 42.2% from the field and 37.9 % from beyond the arc.
After they play the Knicks at home on New Year’s Eve, the Spurs will travel to face the Indiana Pacers on Friday, January 2 before returning to the Frost Bank Center for a game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, January 3.
Spurs Get Concerning Injury Update On Stephon Castle