Atlanta Hawks Draft Preview: Jeremy Sochan

Sochan has a high upside.

The 2022 NBA Draft is just three weeks away. The Hawks have the 16th and 44th picks and have several prospects to evaluate. Today we continue our series of scouting reports with former Baylor Bear Jeremy Sochan.

Vitals

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Jeremy Sochan

Height: 6’10”

Weight: 230

Age: 19

Position: Power Forward

Class: Freshman

School: Baylor

Why Sochan

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Should the Atlanta Hawks find themselves in a situation where Ochai Agbaji, Malaki Branham, and Tari Eason are all off the board, and Jeremy Sochan is still available come the 16^th overall pick, they shouldn’t hesitate one bit to select the brilliant Baylor prospect and for a couple of key reasons.

The first comes down to the resemblance in-game style Sochan has to that of NBA 2021-22 Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes. Possessing one big, athletic, towering frame, Sochan put forth an exciting display of his versatile talent in his sole season with Baylor, highlighting a little bit of everything with his scoring package while dominating the paint with elite rebounding and superior defending.

Similarly to that of Eason, Sochan predicated just about all of his success off the bench, averaging 25.1 minutes in 30 games played while only starting in one of them. So whether the Hawks choose to slot him in as a starter or not, Sochan would generate an immediate impact with his defensive resilience and offensive savviness, something the Hawks would benefit from having. 

Offense

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What’s interesting about Sochan is that his offensive numbers were nothing particularly flashy, only averaging 9.2 points per game on the season. But the gradual development that Sochan began to display as the season moved on, was very encouraging as he started to come into his own and build up his confidence.

In his last eight games of the season, Sochan was posting 12.3 points per game, scoring 17 in two of those games and 15 in his last two games of the March Madness Tournament. Because of his combined strength, quickness, and burst, Sochan is very difficult to stop when attacking the rim and crashes the glass at an elite level, especially on the offensive front. To add to it, Sochan runs the floor in transition really well and is an underrated passer for his position, nearly averaging two assists per game (1.8) despite averaging only 25 minutes on the floor.

Lastly, Sochan illustrated some growth with his shot creation ability and demonstrated throughout the season that he can shoot from behind the arc as well. With a strong shooting efficiency from the field (47.4%) on seven shot attempts on average, one can only imagine what Sochan could be able to do on the scoring front if his shot attempts went up.

Defense

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The defensive talent that Sochan has is simply nothing short of spectacular and is arguably the biggest reason why he could go Top 10 in the draft this year. With the ability to guard all five positions on the floor and match both the physicality and speed both forwards and guards can throw at him, Sochan brings an aggressiveness and competitiveness to his defensive game that can be suffocating to work against, using his long reach to swipe away at steals and interrupt passing lanes.

Though he doesn’t have the best bounce yet to be a big-time rim protector (averaged just 0.7 blocks on the year), Sochan’s leaping ability, instincts, and close-out speed, do make him a dangerous shot-blocker, a skill of his that will only get better as he continues to grow into his athleticism and improve his defensive game.

But what stands out most when it comes to Sochan’s defense is that he plays with a lot of heart, energy, toughness, and confidence. This really came to life when Baylor took on UNC in the second round of the big dance, where Baylor was able to pull off a miraculous comeback after being down 25-points to force overtime. From diving on the floor for contested balls to his swift movement both inside and out to interrupt shots, to his in-your-face presence he brought with nearly every opponent he matched up against, Sochan played a very crucial role in Baylor’s second-half comeback and proved how talented of a defender he truly is.

Upside

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Because of his physical traits and overall skillset, Sochan’s upside is another major reason why he could be drafted a lot higher within the Top 10 of the draft. Considering he’s also 19-years-old, one can only imagine the kind of untapped potential this bright young prospect really has, something we’ve only caught a glimpse of in his sole season at Baylor.

But what’s also quite bewildering is that, just like Tari Eason, we don’t even know what Sochan would be able to accomplish with more than 25 plus minutes per game, more or less, a starting role. Sochan has a very high ceiling, and with the type of raw athleticism he has at his disposal at such a young age, try to fathom how that will look like five years from now.

Downside

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Just like everyone else in this draft class, Sochan does have a few weaknesses that could use some sharpening. The first biggest question mark is his streaky shooting and lack of success from behind the arc. Shooting just 29.8% from 3PT range and a measly 58.9% from the free-throw line, Sochan will have to improve his effectiveness in those areas if he really wants to live up to the offensive threat he can be.

The second key concern is turnovers and foul trouble. Though his average was relatively low (1.6 turnovers per game), Sochan had five games this past season where he logged four turnovers and had seven different games where he had four or more fouls. In college, that’s one thing, but in the NBA, it’s another. And because he only played 25 minutes per game, that’s something that could lead Sochan to fall out of the Top 10.

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