This content is taken from an article by Roberto Araiza for Air Alamotranslated into Italian by Fabrizio Riposati for Around the Game.
Despite a season of san antonio spurs so far from 14 victories in 58 games, in a year in which the ranking is certainly not the priority of the Texans, the rookie Jeremy Sochan is undoubtedly a positive note for black-silver fans.
In the seven games prior to the physical problem he accused on February 2, the San Antonio forward averaged nearly 16 points per game, with over 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 50% from the arc and 85% shooting bezel; including a 30-point performance, in a Spurs overtime loss to the Suns.
Looking at what the pre-Draft scouting report said about Sochan, it is clear that his first quality was confirmed in the first few months in San Antonio. That is, his defensive versatility. Furthermore, several analysts had suggested that it could also prove to be an efficient finisher within the paint and an interesting passer. All these potentials have led him to be the ninth choice in the Draft 2022and in retrospect one might think he deserved a higher call as well.
A 30-point performance was hard enough to imagine after only a few months; in general, his offensive and specifically scoring potential proved to be less immature than expected. The huge improvement in shooting efficiency (over 38% from the bow in January) – in addition to the work on one hand mechanics shown on the bezel – was an obvious factor, but its impact doesn’t stop there.
What is striking is his ability to recognize and attack space, both with and without the ball. On-ball has become more aggressive in attacking the iron and his ability to build a shot from the mid-range (33% of his attempts from the field) amplifies his danger; off-ball, on the other hand, knows how to cut with timing and read the space well, and then close with power or thanks to a soft touch. Just the touch and the mid-range game shown in recent months are the most promising signs for the future.
The flashes that Sochan had shown to Baylor seem to have translated them more frequently to the upper floor, and it wasn’t at all obvious, on the contrary. This, however, does not mean that he is a finished product as a player. Ideally, his shooting ability should get to a point where defenders are forced to closeout him on the perimeter and have to run over blocks; he will then need to improve his dribbling qualities, learn to contain fouls and maybe even add some muscle mass. For now, however, we are at the point where the improvements shown in recent months are too impressive not to look at glass half full.
Spurs may have found a gem in the latest Draft.
