'I Just Love Watching Him': Spurs' Gregg Popovich Praises Jeremy Sochan
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Recent high praise from San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is well deserved for Jeremy Sochan, who has emerged as one of the season's most productive rookies.
Among rookies, he ranks seventh in scoring and sixth in rebounding, with averages of 10.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 44 games. He is one of five rookies with at least one 30-point game.
At the beginning of the season, the 19-year-old was considered one of the most talented defenders in his draft class. Sochan has demonstrated his defensive ability nightly but has also started to develop offensively. For example, he has scored in double figures in seven straight games, the longest streak of his career. The progression undoubtedly caught the admiration of Popovich.
"He’s wild. He’s doing whatever he wants. I just love watching him," Popovich said of Sochan. "It’s kinda like watching Manu (Ginobili) when we first got him — I have no idea what he’s gonna do. He guards fives. He brings it up and plays point when Tre (Jones) is out of the game."
Popovich explained further: "He does a little bit of everything. He’s really a competitive young man with a lot of skills that are just not honed and perfected. … He’s hungry, and he wants to be really good. He’ll make some glaring mistakes but veterans do the same thing so we’re thrilled with his progress.
Sochan debuted his one-handed free-throw form on Dec. 19. Prior to that, he had been arguably the worst free throw shooter in the NBA — converting at just a 45.8 percent (24 attempts) clip in 23 games. His new form has allowed him to convert 76.7 percent of his attempts (60 attempts) in 21 games.
“Who else would do that?” Popovich said of Sochan's new free throw mechanics. “I would guess nine out of 10 players would say, ‘Pop, you’re crazy. I’m not doing that. I’m not going to shoot one-handed in front of 18,000 people.’ But he has the courage to do it and what, did he go from 35-40 to 80?”
In spite of the influx of rookies this season, it was unclear what kind of roles would be in store, even for Sochan. However, the 9th overall pick has started in all but three games, and he appears to be a player who can do it all. He's trying new things and adding to his game with a clear progression being achieved.
The Spurs thrilled to add him through the draft and he appears to have a bright future ahead as he becomes more comfortable on the court.
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