Do the San Antonio Spurs have a diamond in the rough after choosing Jeremy Sochan?
Sochan may not exactly turn out to be a diamond, but he could still be a gem of a find.
The ninth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft presents a number of interesting opportunities for the rebuilding San Antonio Spurs. They used one of their four draft picks this year on Jeremy Sochan, one of the most intriguing talents in the class, rather than settling for the potential of a draft-and-stash prospect or making a trade.
The versatile 19-year-old fits well into Gregg Popovich's preferences since he is a naturally good defender. Remember that Sochan earned the US NCAA Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year and was selected to the conference's All-Freshman team in his lone season at Baylor. At 6'9 with a wingspan of more than seven feet, Sochan has the physical tools to be a very impactful player for the Spurs.
When Sochan is paired up against large players, he enjoys the toughness, has excellent foot quickness, and is switchable. His former head coach Scott Drew gushed about how he walked into his Baylor program, which had just won the 2021 national championship, and instantly slotted in as one of the greatest communicators on the squad, especially on defense.
Sochan also fits very well into the youth movement for the San Antonio franchise. Keep in mind that the Spurs have only two players over the age of 30.
Sochan was a top-10 choice despite having made just one start in college. He was committed to serving as a reserve for Baylor in college despite having the skill-set of a lottery talent.
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Jeremy Sochan Bold Spurs Predictions
2. Sochan will be the Spurs' top defender
In the 2021–22 US NCAA season, Sochan was a non-starter for Baylor in 29 out of 30 games, yet he was one of the best players in the nation, especially on defense.
He can guard nearly all five spots, and in off-ball situations, he can produce deflections and transition opportunities. He has very active hands, and he is always ready to seize any slack passes or loose handles.
In college, Sochan typically played as a roving 4 on the weak side of opponents' offenses. This enabled him to step into the lane to intercept crosscourt passes or provide help at the rim when necessary. On switches, he demonstrated the ability to step out onto guards and wings when needed. Despite his stature, he maintains a light gait and can shift directions quickly when playing defense.
In spite of this, his strongest quality may be that he can be used as an off-ball threat. He can quickly shift to key spots on the floor after the help or the drop. Sochan also has superb anticipation to steal errant passes and launch a fast break attack. He actually recorded a ton of deflections in addition to his 2.0 steals per 40 minutes in college.
"I think Jeremy Sochan is going to be a real value pick for the San Antonio Spurs. I see a tremendous upside with Malaki Branham."@JayBilas on @SochanJeremy and @MalakiBranham 🔊⬆️ pic.twitter.com/t9q0KWIKTS
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) June 25, 2022
1. Sochan will be one of the Spurs' worst jump-shooters
On the flip side, Sochan may end up very limited on offense for the Spurs. While he has great length and a nifty touch around the rim, his spot-up shooting simply is not good. This means that opposing defenses can potentially sag off of Sochan. He certainly won't space the floor well for the Spurs this coming season.
In fact, his shooting numbers are quite concerning. He finished his only US NCAA season shooting 29.6 percent from the three-point area and just 58.9 percent from the free-throw line. Now, while he does have workable shot mechanics, opposing teams will be all too happy to let him shoot until he raises those percentages.
Right now, Spurs fans won't even see much of Sochan before the season begins. He won't play during NBA Summer League while he recovers from a positive COVID-19 test. They should not worry much, though, since this move is clearly preventive on the part of the Spurs' management. At the end of the day, Sochan is expected to play a significant role this season as the Spurs try to replace Dejounte Murray's varied productivity.
He may not be the most intimidating new sheriff in town, but he has the capacity to take the proverbial law into his own hands.
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