Stephon Castle’s Unexpected Injury Sidelines Spurs Star, Raising Alarms Ahead of Crucial Games

Man, just when you think the San Antonio Spurs might catch a break, bam—they lose another key piece in Stephon Castle. That MRI on Tuesday confirmed what we feared: a left hip flexor strain that’s benching the young guard for at least a week or two. You gotta feel for the guy—he’s been putting up strong numbers this season, averaging a solid 17.3 points and 7.5 assists, all while carrying the weight of that No. 4 overall pick hype from UConn. And just to add salt to the wound, the Spurs’ superstar Victor Wembanyama is also sidelined with a left calf strain, expected to be out for a few weeks. It’s the kind of hit no team wants, yet San Antonio still managed to pull off a win against Memphis without these heavy hitters. Gotta admire their grit, but questions loom large about how long this can last. Curious to see how they’ll adjust while missing some of their best talent. LEARN MORE

The San Antonio Spurs are down another starter.

Spurs guard Stephon Castle is dealing with a left hip flexor strain, an MRI confirmed Tuesday. He will be evaluated again in one-to-two weeks, the team announced. He did not play in the team’s 111-101 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night as a result.

Castle went down in the first half of the team’s win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, and he did not play in the second half of that contest. He wasn’t clear himself when the injury happened, but he said he was dealing with soreness in his hip.

Castle has averaged 17.3 points and 7.5 assists per game in 13 contests this season, his second in the league after the Spurs selected him with the No. 4 overall draft pick out of UConn. He averaged 14.7 points and 4.1 assists per game last season while earning Rookie of the Year honors.

The Spurs are also without star Victor Wembanyama, who is dealing with a left calf strain. He is expected to miss “a few weeks,” too. Wembanyama has averaged 26.2 points, 12.9 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game this season. Both he and Castle each produced a 20-point triple-double in a loss to the Golden State Warriors earlier this month in a rare outing for a duo on the same team.

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Without Castle or Wembanyama around, the Spurs still got a 10-point win Tuesday night at the Frost Bank Center. De’Aaron Fox scored 26 points and shot 10-of-20 from the field to lead the team, and Harrison Barnes added 23 points.

The Spurs were also without backup point guard Jordan McLaughlin on Tuesday night after he went down with a hamstring strain in practice. Julian Champagnie entered the starting lineup instead.

The Spurs (10-4) have won two straight and have five wins in their past seven games. They’ll host the Atlanta Hawks next on Thursday night.