Jeremy Sochan’s injury has led to several surprising benefits for the Spurs

A key cog in the Spurs lineup, 21-year-old Jeremy Sochan recently broke his thumb and required surgery to correct the injury. He’s been out of the lineup for about two weeks, and he’s projected to be out for quite some time—between 15 and 20 games.

Sochan has been effective for the Spurs in limited action this season and has been on an upward trajectory as a dogged defender coupled with high energy on the offensive end. Through seven games this season, he’s averaging 15.4 points per game to go along with 7.7 rebounds per game.

His offensive numbers took a significant jump over his previous career highs, and he seemed to be coming into his own as an NBA player through the early part of the season.

The Spurs will have to fill the vacancy in the lineup now that Sochan’s out. With injury comes opportunity, and several Spurs will have a chance to pull a Lou Gehrig/Wally Pipp, if you will. These players will have opportunities to benefit from Sochan’s injury.

Stephon Castle has been shining

Stephon Castle, the Spurs' first-round pick this past season, has seized the opportunity offered to him in Sochan's absence. His game has accelerated at an unbelievable rate, and he’s now an extremely important player for the team. The UConn star has taken over guarding the other team’s best player and has been successful in doing so.

He’s got a natural ability to slash to the basket and hasn’t gotten much resistance from defenders to stop him from doing so. Castle’s big enough to play on the wing (6’6”) and can guard the same or similar players that Sochan would.

He's seen playing time at the point guard position for the most part and has been able to involve teammates, dishing out 3.1 assists per game. Steph makes plays on the offensive end and shoots the ball at nearly 40% (39.8%). He'll continue to develop at a rapid pace with extra time on the court.

Victor Wembanyama has asserted himself even more

There was a growing sentiment among Spurs Nation that Victor Wembanyama needed to be more assertive offensively. The cause of this concern was likely his time playing with players he believes need to touch the ball or that he has respect for. Players like Sochan fit this description.

With Sochan out of the way, it appears Wembanyama has realized it’s time to take over.  Over his last five games, Wembanyama has been unstoppable, averaging 29.6 points per game – with a career high of 50 coming in only 32 minutes against Washington.

Wembanyama has continued his stellar defensive play as well. He has had 18 total blocks over the last five games and has averaged 11.6 rebounds in the same span.

Victor gets time to mesh with other players while Sochan is out. Players like the previously mentioned Stephon Castle, Chris Paul and Blake Wesley could all use time on the floor with Wemby, and Sochan’s injury allows that in a game and likely a practice setting as well.

The bench has begun to establish itself

With Sochan absent, others have needed to contribute. This includes players who normally wouldn't play as much as they have. Some guys, like Sandro Mamukelashvili, have already stepped up in #10’s absence.

Mamu established himself over the last three games, playing more than 15 minutes in two of them. He scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds over 17 minutes against Dallas recently.

Blake Wesley has seen more action as well, averaging 13.8 minutes per game over his last five contests. He's shot 50% from the field during that time.

Keldon Johnson, mercurial as he may be to the fan base, has also been called on to be more impactful. He’s even added more defensively, averaging 5.6 rebounds per game as well as 1 steal per contest.

It takes a group effort to replace an impact player when they get injured. Using various methods and having players step up for the betterment of the team has always been the Spurs' way of doing business. As they adjust to this injury, the culture will prevail, and the Spurs will continue to keep the ship afloat.