Spurs' Jeremy Sochan Displays Intriguing Defensive Potential vs. Rockets
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The San Antonio Spurs got their first look at Jeremy Sochan, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, against non-internal competition on Sunday during a 134-96 loss to the Houston Rockets.
Sochan finished with five points, four rebounds, one steal, three blocks, and two turnovers in 17 minutes of action. He shot 2-4 from the floor and 1-3 from 3-point range and didn't attempt a free throw.
“That was my first game since losing to North Carolina, so it’s been a minute,” Sochan said. “I would say I was a little tentative at the start, but I played a little better in the second half, being more active and aware defensively.”
While the blocks undoubtedly showed in the box score, there was plenty more from Sochan defensively that did not. He displayed his impressive defensive versatility that was integral throughout his Baylor Bears career.
“I pride myself on defense,” Sochan said.
One area that stood on a few possessions was the dynamic impact Sochan can make as the low-defender. He has the quickness to get out on a shooter in the corner if he has to make a traditional closeout or get out to the wing on an X-out. Most importantly, he has great shot-blocking timing to protect the rim.
In the play below, Sochan begins by tracking Tari Eason on the drive using his quickness. He remains engaged after Eason decides to make a kick out instead of finishing in the paint, which leads to making a rotation out of the dunker's spot.
Perhaps most impressive of all was Sochan's chase-down block in transition. He displayed tremendous ability to time his pursuit of contesting the finish on the trail instead of committing a foul in transition, which would be the case for most young players trying to make a play.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich took note of the impressive all-around combination of ball handling, rebounding, and defensive contributions that Sochan is capable of offering a team. As he develops, Sochan could grow into being a tremendous glue guy on both ends.
“He’s got a lot of skills,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “He’s a good ball handler, he can rebound, he’s playing defense. He’s trying to do everything the way we want to do it.”
Sochan is far from a finished product overall despite the positives he can already bring as a rookie. His lack of a reliable jump shoot stands out atop the list of areas that still need to be fine-tuned. Given the importance of floor spacing, he will need to become a consistent catch-and-shoot threat.
“I think he’s just an all-around player already,” Spurs center Jakob Poeltl said. “Obviously, there’s things he needs to improve on, but it seems like he has a lot of it figured out.”
The Spurs return to action on Thursday when they take on the Orlando Magic in what will be the second of four preseason games.
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