Jeremy Sochan reality cements 2022 draft as an undeniable Spurs disaster

With the ninth overall pick, the San Antonio Spurs select Jeremy Sochan from Baylor University. With the 20th pick, the Spurs select Malaki Branham from Ohio State. With the 25th pick, the Spurs select Blake Wesley from Notre Dame.

Four years later, none of them are on an NBA roster. Three prospects turned into three whiffs from The Silver and Black—the worst misses in the history of the franchise.

While San Antonio, like any other team, has struck out on picks in the past, it's the sheer number that makes this class take the cake. If you have three chances, and one is a lottery pick, you have to hit on one. Not only did none of them end up in the team's long-term plans, but they might all find themselves out of the league.

That's pretty horrific.

Jeremy Sochan never became the Spurs' lottery success story

Plenty of us had high hopes for Sochan, at the very least. He got opportunities to start, Coach Pop tried different roles, including the dread point-Sochan experiment. But, looking back, the legendary coach was just trying to peel some value out of a player who fit awkwardly.

It didn't work, but throwing the kitchen sink at the issue before giving up on a lottery pick is exactly how he should have approached that situation. Unfortunately for Jeremy, nothing took, despite the hard work and selfless attitude he demonstrated.

Sochan's one-handed free throws are the perfect example of the lengths he was willing to go to make this work. Switching to that form was bound to be met with ridicule, but he did it anyway because there was a tangible improvement. The Polish defensive specialist did everything asked of him. It just hasn't been enough.

One of the reasons the Spurs took so long to trade their fourth-year forward was an attempt to find a team he'd have a fair shot with. The Knicks were supposed to be that lifeline.

Mike Brown certainly gave him his opportunities, but the result was a reserved spot at the end of the bench, never really playing any meaningful minutes during the playoffs.

Now, we're a month into free agency, and he still doesn't have a job. It's not over yet, but it's not looking good for the former HEB-commercial star.

The Spurs got almost nothing from all three first-round picks

Branham and Wesley were considered long shots from the beginning. It's harder to turn a player picked in the late 20s into a valuable contributor, but that doesn't completely excuse the Spurs.

The goal is still to develop late-round prospects into reliable personnel. They didn't do that, and San Antonio received little-to-nothing in return for their departures. Sochan was bought out, while Blake and Malaki were traded for an aging Kelly Olynyk, who provided nothing but moral support.

When you draft three players in the first round, you'd hope to hit on one of them at a minimum. The odds are supposed to be in your favor. While that draft wasn't the strongest, there were players to be had at every stop who San Antonio just missed on.

OKC's second-best player, Jalen Williams, went three picks after Sochan, and Jalen Duren was selected immediately after JDub. Instead of Branham and Wesley, the Spurs could have had Peyton Watson, Andrew Nembhard, or Jaylin Williams.

San Antonio is in a great place right now. They have their stars, and the roster depth is impressive. But just as their successes are part of the story, so are their failures, and the 2022 NBA Draft was a pretty massive letdown.

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