5 Questions From Knicks Expert on Blazers PF Jeremy Sochan

The Portland Trail Blazers are adding to their 15-man roster by signing former top-10 pick Jeremy Sochan to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal.

There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding Sochan, who was once viewed as a top prospect but has sunk to the bottom of the NBA hierarchy going into his age-23 season. Now, the Blazers will give him an opportunity to crack the 15-man roster when he reports to Portland for training camp at the end of next month. To learn more about Sochan, we spoke with New York Knicks On SI contributor Kento Kato.

Jeremy Sochan was not with the Knicks long, but how did he contribute to the team’s championship?

New York Knicks forward Jeremy Sochan attends practice during the NBA finals media day. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When Sochan spoke about how teammate Victor Wembanyama will get tired if the Knicks can be physical with him, NBA fans collectively tilted their heads. Sochan is a former teammate of Wembanyama’s but some were still thrown off by the out-of-rotation Sochan was offering an insight on how to stop one of the most physically dominant and imposing players in the league. But he wasn’t wrong. The Knicks benefitted more from this knowledge than anything he did on the court.

Why did the Knicks choose not to re-sign him?

Sochan is a 23-year-old who doesn’t provide the Knicks with enough of what they need while also holding back their best players with his lack of shooting. It was always going to be hard for the Knicks to bring back a player outside their winning window who doesn’t really help them on the court.

What is Sochan’s biggest strength?

Defensive versatility. Sochan has the strength, athleticism, size, and motor to defend multiple positions, and, against most teams, can likely switch one through five relatively confidently.

What is Sochan’s biggest weakness?

Shooting, or lack thereof. He is a serviceable jump shot away from becoming a productive player but it’s also one of the hardest skills in the game to meaningfully improve at.

Can Sochan get his career back on track with the Blazers?

I don’t know he’ll ever live up to the top-ten pick status that he was. But if the Trail Blazers can continue to work on his shot and have him play a depth role that provides energy, defense, and some solid positional playmaking, he could get back to being a rotational player. It will be difficult though, given the depth they have in the front court.

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