NBA – “It’s Disgusting”: Major Controversy at the Spurs Over the Treatment of Stephon Castle

The Spurs keep piling up losses, and their collective situation isn’t improving.

On top of that, head coach Mitch Johnson’s handling of Stephon Castle has sparked serious controversy.

While the rookie guard should be playing and developing, his coach has decided otherwise.

Spurs Struggling Without Wembanyama

Without Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs find themselves in a very difficult position as the season nears its end.

Losses continue to mount, and unless a miracle happens—such as Devin Vassell and his teammates stepping up—the Texas franchise has little hope of making the playoffs.

Even reaching the Play-In Tournament seems highly unlikely.

With more than four games behind the Kings, the last team currently in a qualifying spot, the Spurs already face a significant gap.

The Suns are also ahead of them, making a postseason push seem nearly impossible on paper.

Injuries, a lack of overall talent on the roster, and a coach failing to win over the fans are all major obstacles.

Is a Coaching Change Inevitable in San Antonio?

Promoted to fill in for Gregg Popovich—whose absence could unfortunately become permanent—Mitch Johnson is facing increasing criticism.

His decisions, especially his rotations involving Stephon Castle, have been particularly controversial.

The rookie remains on the bench despite delivering strong performances and has even been punished for minor mistakes.

Castle was benched after making a few errors and played only 12 minutes against the Pelicans on Tuesday—a remarkably low amount for a young player who needs game experience to develop.

Should the Spurs change coaches to improve the situation?

It’s possible, but such a move would likely have to wait until the next season. Still, fans are already demanding immediate changes.

Fans Outraged by Castle’s Treatment

Spurs supporters have taken to social media to express their frustration over Mitch Johnson’s coaching decisions, especially regarding Castle’s lack of playing time:

@cinephile_matt: “Mitch Johnson is not an NBA-level coach. This is a disgusting coaching performance. In what world do you not play Stephon Castle in a game like this? It’s 2025, and the fourth overall pick in the last draft, a Rookie of the Year candidate, is being treated just like Lonnie Walker IV was.”
@EricSal_7: “Stephon Castle got 8 minutes tonight. He was the fourth pick and one of the ROTY favorites. How does this happen? Because of turnovers? Who cares. We’re in 12th place—let him play despite the mistakes.”
@therealpfifer: “How do we bench Mitch?”

As a rookie, Stephon Castle is bound to make mistakes in an NBA game.

However, the overly strict treatment he’s receiving seems unjustified, and it has angered Spurs fans.

Mitch Johnson has been warned.