'Bigger Jrue Holiday' comp for Stephon Castle doesn't go over well on X
You can hear it in Jay Bilas's voice on draft night. He wasn't fully sure of the Jrue Holiday pro comp to the San Antonio Spurs' No. 4 overall draft pick, UConn's Stephon Castle. He compared the rookie to one of the primary difference-makers in the Boston Celtics' run to Banner 18 in the 2024 postseason anyway, though.
And those on X weren't impressed by the half-hearted, engagement-driven statement by Bilas. Castle won a championship with the Huskies, but he walked into a title factory. Holiday made Boston one.
Not to mention, Holiday is seen by his peers as the best defender in the league. A little early for this comparison for Castle, you think?
X definitely did.
Did I just hear bigger Jrue Holiday????
— Mo (@Moh39i) June 27, 2024
He got compared to Jrue Holiday pic.twitter.com/SjfFQeSn0e
— Tre'Juan Johnson (@futurenbagov) June 27, 2024
Jay Bilas just called him a bigger Jrue Holiday and that feels like hyperbole - not because he can’t be a good or even great defender. But because Jrue Holiday has been a level of elite that you have to earn being compared to.
— Zac (@whowon_zac) June 27, 2024
Bro gtfoh. I hate these player comps so bad. “A bigger Jrue Holiday” is a hall of famer https://t.co/lA8IYRNQzs
— JazzJargon (@JazzJargon) June 27, 2024
Stephon Castle joins Spurs team with chance to take over once Boston Celtics dynasty run is done
Castle is a great addition to a team led by Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs are a few moves away from becoming a true threat out west, with trades of some of their bigger contracts for a solid veteran the best way to expedite the timeline.
Of course, it's going to be a while before San Antonio can return to its previous glory under Gregg Popovich. The Celtics look like they'll be hoarding titles a manner similar to the late 2010s Golden State Warriors or, at worst, late 2000s Los Angeles Lakers.
Still, having a franchise big man in Wemby and now a do-it-all wing in Castle -- who admittedly needs to improve his long-range shooting before approaching future-star projections -- puts the Spurs in a position to one day rise to the top of the Western Conference.
Wembanyama is as close to perfect of a guy you start a franchise with as it gets. They just added a player who complements him well.
As Brad Stevens showed, when you make the right moves, the results follow. But the Spurs must follow the Celtics in line for the Larry O'Brien Trophy.