Through no fault of his own, Stephon Castle found himself part of what could become an iconic moment at the end of Game 2 between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks -  when Victor Wembanyama hit him with a pass right as he turned his back, leading to a turnover, a foul, and a gut-punch loss. The more revealing part of Castle’s game wasn’t that sequence -  it was what happened when he was off the floor.

Castle, the Spurs' starting combo guard, was subbed out with 6:45 left in the game, San Antonio trailing 95–83. When he checked back in, half a minute from the buzzer, the score was 104–104.

Over the full game, Castle was a minus-6, while the Spurs’ other two guards finished in the positive: Dylan Harper at plus-12 and De’Aaron Fox at plus-2. Castle had 4 turnovers and 4 assists -  a 1:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Harper and Fox weren't perfect either, but Harper went 3 assists to 2 turnovers, and Fox 5 assists to 4 turnovers.

In Game 1 as well, Castle's minutes were less productive than those of the other Spurs guards at the team level - a minus-9, compared to Fox's 0 and Harper's minus-5.

Through two games, Castle's series plus/minus stands at minus-7.5, second-worst on the roster behind only Julian Champagnie (minus-8).

Watch: Castle's turnovers and misses in Games 1 and 2

Castle's numbers through the first two games obviously aren't going to get him pulled from the rotation -  or even the starting five. His point-of-attack defense is one reason the Spurs made the Finals, and he's one of the bodies assigned to Jalen Brunson, who has shot poorly from the field so far in the series. In open court, Castle's athleticism makes him a genuine force -  and the Spurs are at their best when they're running. But in the playoffs — especially in the Finals — the pace slows, and that’s when Castle’s limitations become more apparent. He's a player who, just two years ago at UConn, spent most of the season playing the 2 and 3, with Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer splitting point guard duties between them.

For one, he’s shooting 33 percent from three in the series — better than Wembanyama’s 26.7 percent and Harper’s 12.5 percent — but the Knicks are clearly comfortable letting him fire away.

  His presence on the floor allows them to pack the paint and make life harder for Wemby on his cuts and drives. When Castle does attack the rim, the Knicks are sitting in drop coverage and daring him to make decisions from the midrange -  and so far, the results haven't been great, with six combined turnovers and misses. Even in transition, Castle sometimes doesn't read when to pump the brakes, and even when the Knicks are getting back in full force, he'll still push all the way to the rim - a decision that has led to several blocks.

There are no easy solutions. Mitch Johnson may need to be more deliberate about when to sit Castle and turn to Fox or Harper instead.

. It's a safe bet the Spurs spent the last few days in the film room, and Castle may clean up some of his decision-making going forward. Either way, improvement from the 21-year-old guard is critical if San Antonio wants to get back in this series.