San Antonio Spurs To Build On Jeremy Sochan’s Summer Work.
The San Antonio Spurs have made it clear that Jeremy Sochan is a part of their long-term outlook. After the (mostly) failed point-Sochan experiment to start last season, it was clear that the 6-8 power forward would not be a primary ball handler or facilitator, which caused some fans to turn on him. However, he is an adept NBA player, and when he sticks to his role he is a high-level player. No, he cannot run the point, but no reasonable fan would expect him to. No, he is not a high-level
scorer, especially from deep, but he is one of the best on-ball defenders in the league and has gotten under the skin of Devin Booker, Luka Doncic, and Amen Thompson, to name just a few. As far as fourth or fifth scoring options go, Sochan does everything expected of him on offense, and his terrifying defense makes him the ideal counterpart to Victor Wembanyama in the frontcourt. This summer, he played in only two games for Poland in an attempt to make the Olympic Games. While his summer was not as highly-publicized as his French teammates, strides were made this offseason. In two games for the Red & Whites, Sochan was clearly the best player on the roster,
averaging 18 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and 2.5 ‘stocks.’ He shot 57.9 percent from inside the arc, and only attempted two three-pointers. Given that he shot only 30.8 percent from deep last season, his willingness to get closer to the basket this summer is a good sign. With Poland, he drew the majority of attention from opposing defenses, so his shots were rarely uncontested. With Wembanyama, Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, Stephon Castle, and Chris Paul all bonafide NBA scorers, expect Sochan to have more open looks this season, and he should make the most of it.
