San Antonio Spurs Season Recap: Jeremy Sochan Wrote Three Stories

When the San Antonio Spurs started their season, Jeremy Sochan looked like one of the best players, if not the best player, on the team.

Keep in mind, Devin Vassell was injured, Stephon Castle had yet to break out, and Victor Wembanyama had a slow start to the season. During Sochan’s first seven games before injury sidelined him for 12 contests, he was a fixture in the starting lineup and played the best offense of his career.

However, his season was divided by three injuries, one of which sidelined him for the final eight games of the season.

Span

MPG

PPG

RPG

APG

FG%

STL+BLK

Games 1-7

29.3

15.4

7.7

3.0

51.2%

1.4

Games 8-22

28.7

12.4

8.2

2.4

54.1%

1.6

Games 22-54

22.8

10.1

5.5

2.2

54.0%

1.2

Total (54 Games)

25.3

11.4

6.1

2.4

53.5%

1.3

In those three stints, Sochan played vastly different roles. To start the season, he was a starter and one of the main offensive connectors on the team. After that, he remained mostly in the starting lineup for the second stint before being relegated to the bench later in the season, although the rationale behind that was questionable.

By the time the midpoint of the season rolled around, Harrison Barnes had solidified himself as the best shooter on the team and an integral part of the Spurs’ spacing. Once De’Aaron Fox was added, it was clear that Barnes would not be moved to the bench, but the Spurs opted to demote Sochan instead of Chris Paul.

Sochan remained one of the best defenders on the team, and he and Castle will provide some elite perimeter defense for years to come. However, his once-promising offense took a hit.

Moving forward, the Spurs will likely need him to be a solid scorer. If the Spurs start Fox, Castle, Vassell, Barnes, and Wembanyama next season, Sochan, Keldon Johnson, and Julian Champagnie will be the primary bench scorers, and bringing back Chris Paul or drafting a point guard to facilitate the second unit seems like an easy choice for the Spurs to make.

Since being drafted, Sochan has never had a defined role, and the organization will have to figure out what to do with him, as the talent is undeniable.

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San Antonio Spurs Season Recap: Jeremy Sochan Wrote Three Stories

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