Spurs' rookie Stephon Castle set a career-high 26 points, with 22 of them coming in the second half and 15 in the fourth quarter. However, the Spurs allowed the Grizzlies to get h

San Antonio Spurs prized rookie Stephon Castle has shined as a starter but has struggled to make the same imprint off the bench

A second-half slippage saw the San Antonio Spurs drop their first of two straight games against the Memphis Grizzlies at home. Amid the disappointment, as acting coach Mitch Johnson put it, Stephon Castle served as a small silver lining.

San Antonio has the right to swap with Minnesota in 2030 unless the Timberwolves land the first pick, but they can waive the swap rights and also return Minnesota's 2031 first-rounder in this deal, which allows the Wolves to regain some control of their future.

When Sochan returned to the starting lineup in mid-December, bumping Castle back to the bench, the rookie’s numbers dropped. Much of that can be traced to a change in opportunity. Castle went from playing 30.5 minutes per game as a starter to 18.9 per game as a reserve.