Incoming desperation year is last chance for Sochan to break through

Jeremy Sochan is the most controversial player on the team among the Spurs fan base. Half of Spurs' Nation loves him, and the other half would have preferred Brian Wright to pick another player three years ago in the 2022 NBA Draft. The hope is for a player like that to make the fans change their mind, but unfortunately, they haven't budged from that position.

I can't say that I blame them, though I lean toward the side of appreciating Sochan's game. I hail from a time when not everyone was a supreme offensive player, but they still brought value to the team. The former Baylor Bear falls into that category. Not that he doesn't provide something to the offense, because he's a great cutter, a solid finisher, and grabs offensive rebounds.

But as much as I enjoy watching the Polish Prince get busy, even I understand the differences in today's game and how much it would benefit the team if he were to improve his shooting. The question of "will he" is hanging over him as summer approaches.

Sochan needs a breakout year

Last season was Sochan's third year in the league. He averaged fewer minutes (25.3) than he did during his sophomore campaign (29.6). That's not a good sign. I'm sure that the organization still holds him a fairly high regard, but it's fair to question whether it's to the same level as it was when they drafted him.

Jeremy is a high-end defender, and that gets him grace. He defends the best wing defenders in the league and does it successfully. Advanced stats prove that.

But his lack of shooting ability got him sent to the bench to play with the secondary unit, negating an advantage the Spurs should have on defense when he lines up next to Victor Wembanyama. As great of a defender as he is, he doesn't get to guard the opponent's best player to start the game if he's coming off the bench. That's a detriment to his value on the team because they need him to do that to be at their best.

In his second year, he shot 30.8% from three. That number stayed the exact same last year after an offseason where he reportedly put in a ton of work on his shooting mechanics.

As a lottery pick, you'd want Sochan to be able to fit in various lineups. We shouldn't need to worry about his viability because of how badly he hurts the spacing. Spacing is at a premium in the league. There aren't many substitutes for its importance, if there are any at all.

Ultimately, the colorfully-haired hooper must improve his offensive game in order for the Spurs to get the most out of his best trait: his defense. If he doesn't do that in the last year of his contract, it could easily end up being his final year in a silver and black uniform.