Anytime someone finds themselves in the same sentence as Michael Jordan and Earvin “Magic” Johnson, they have done a lot right. Especially early in their careers, it could be a sign that they are becoming a special player. Stephon Castle is the latest to match those legends as a 21-year -old averaging at least 18 points on 50 percent shooting, with five rebounds and five assists.  Notably, Alperen Şengün recorded those numbers two seasons ago, and that’s the only other time it’s happened in NBA history, which stretches back to before the merger of the National Basketball League and Basketball Association of America. Castle was an understudy last season, and it was clear he would one day turn into a big-time baller based on his role of guarding the other team‘s best perimeter threat and the freedom given to him on offense. Now he’s grown into an All-Star caliber player ahead of schedule in his sophomore campaign. A great way to quantify high growth with a musical comparison would be admiring the quality of Led Zeppelin’s album Led Zeppelin, and then being blown away by Led Zeppelin II, which came out nine months later.  His impressive stat line doesn’t mean he is going to turn into Jordan or Johnson, who are two of the top players in NBA history. Part of what made those two special is that there was nothing they couldn’t do on offense. If anyone ever has any doubts about how unstoppable they were, NBA.com has an extensive Classic Games archive for league pass subscribers that one can get lost in.  But aside from all being collegiate champions, here are some things that Castle has in comparison to them: He’s a big, strong guard who goes where he wants on the court and is in the top one percent of athletes in the league. There may not be anyone yet who has successfully clamped Castle in single coverage this year.   Spurs fans shouldn’t feel bad about doubling down on him being an All-NBA caliber player in the near future because that seems modest now. Being in the top 10 is probably where he’s headed.  Castle should be the second-most untouchable youngster in the league behind Victor Wembanyma. He’s on the verge of going from good to great playmaker when he lowers his turnovers, and has made significant strides on his jumper, raising its accuracy by 8.7 percent (40.7). Dare, I say this guy could be a version of Kawhi Leonard with superior passing chops.  One of his biggest jumps this season was going from an average finisher at close range to a top-tier scorer in that zone on virtually the same volume (30.3 percent of attempts). The game has slowed down for him with added reps, and his dribbles through the lane are as deadly as a gash from groin to brain.  The level he’s at now makes one wonder if he’s surpassed De’Aaron Fox, a one-time All-Star who should have more appearances. Fox is not making the same waves on defense that Castle is, nor is he as efficient at 0-3 feet from the cup (66.0 percent).  At the rate Castle is going, don’t be surprised if he finds himself in other statistical categories with more Hall of Famers. ...read more read less