Why Spurs' Jeremy Sochan is Shooting Free Throws Using One Hand
In this story:
The San Antonio Spurs have seen impressive potential from Jeremy Sochan throughout his rookie campaign. He's a versatile defender who effectively connects the half-court offense and crashes the boards. He still has a long way to go regarding his shooting ability.
Sochan is shooting just 18.4 percent from 3-point range and 42.9 percent from the free throw line. He ranks 251st among 253 players in free throw percentage among all players with 25 attempts or more. He is also the only player among 268 shooting below 21.0 percent from 3-point range with at least 40 attempts.
"It's going to be a process," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of Sochan's shooting development.
While shooting altogether remains a work in progress for Sochan, he drastically changed his free throw shooting. He is no longer using his non-shooting hand as a guide hand on the ball and is instead shooting them entirely one-handed.
The implementation process for Sochan's new free throw shooting approach began in shootaround before Monday's win over the Houston Rockets. He finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, and two assists but did so while shooting just 1-4 from the line.
"He started it today," Spurs rookie Malaki Branham said regarding Sochan's new free throw shooting form after Monday's game. "It looked good at shootaround. If he keeps practicing on it, I feel he will be a good free throw shooter."
There isn't a better pure shooter on the Spurs than Doug McDermott. He offered his perception of Sochan's shooting development, explaining that it's important for him to stay aggressive as he works through the improvement process.
"He has a good stroke — his jump shot," McDermott said. "Obviously, we're working through some things. He's so young, it all just comes down to being aggressive and confident. It doesn't phase him at all, missing free throws. I think just hitting those 3s tonight might wake him up a little bit."
Once Sochan can convert at a higher clip from the free throw line, McDermott sees the "floodgates" opening up for Sochan's overall offensive game. When considering how impactful Sochan can be in other areas, becoming a complete product by fine-tuning weaknesses would be ideal.
"You can't be afraid to go to the line," McDermott said. "You just got to keep being aggressive, getting fouled. Once you see a few go through, I think the floodgates open for your whole game. It opens up, especially for a young guy like that. He's going to continue to do that.
"We have a lot of faith in him. I know Brett is working with him a lot, and he's looking great out there. We know he brings a lot more to the table than just offense. He's a great defender, great rebounds, just a great connector overall."
It doesn't take a shooting mechanics expert to see that things have gotten a bit desperate when a team has reached the point of using a one-hand approach to free-throw shooting.
Brown isn't necessarily the most well-equipped option when it comes to working on shooting, either. During his head coaching tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers, Ben Simmons never progressed as a shooter, in general. It was a struggle for the team to develop players around their stars, too.
With Chip Engelland, the Spurs' former shooting expert, now a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, the team needs to bring in outside help to get Sochan on the right track. Before his shooting trends even further in the wrong direction, it's important to prioritize such a move.
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Spurs? Click Here.
Follow Inside the Spurs on Twitter.
Follow Inside the Spurs on Facebook.
