Why is Stephon Castle not playing tonight vs. Trail Blazers? Reason behind Spurs rookie's absence revealed (Dec. 13)

Stephon Castle is having a strong rookie season for the San Antonio Spurs. He, however, won’t play against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday because of a left shoulder contusion. This will be his first missed game of the season after featuring in all 24 outings for the Spurs so far.

Castle injured his left shoulder during the 121-116 win against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday. He briefly left during the second quarter but was cleared to return after X-rays had showed just a bruise. He finished the game with 22 points, four assists and five rebounds in 34 minutes. Castle shot 8-of-15, including 2-of-5 from the 3-point line and 4 of 5 from the charity stripe.

While there's no good time to be injured, it could be argued to be the best time for some rest, as all the teams that didn’t make the Emirates NBA Cup playoffs are going through a light schedule. Stephon Castle spoke about his injury on Wednesday (via Yahoo Sports):

"Injuries are probably the worst part about basketball. I'm doing whatever I can to prevent those, especially this early in the season. I'm trying to be available."

Stephon Castle also talked about the timing of the injury and how the team has enjoyed the extra time:

"I know (in) previous years, you don't really get those breaks to let guys on the injury report kind of rest up a little bit and sharpen some things up in practice, whether that is defense or transition. All of the extra time has been great for us."

Other players on San Antonio’s injury report include Keldon Johnson (out, calf), Zach Collins (out, back) and Tre Jones (out, shoulder).

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How has Stephon Castle fared in his rookie season?

The fourth pick from this year’s draft has gotten his NBA career to a great start. In 24 games, starting 17, Stephon Castle averaged 12.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists on 38.6% shooting. While his efficiency hasn’t been great, it's expected to improve.

The Spurs are 11th in the West with a 12-12 record.

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Where and how to watch San Antonio Spurs vs Portland Trail Blazers?

The San Antonio Spurs vs Portland Trail Blazers game is scheduled for 10 p.m. EST on Friday at Moda Center. The game will be broadcast locally on KATU 2.2 and FanDuel Sports Network - Southwest. Fans can also stream it live on NBA League Pass and fuboTV. Both are paid services and need active subscriptions.