Jeremy Sochan sits with elite company after passing impressive benchmark

Jeremy Sochan is one of the more unique players on the Spurs roster. He doesn't have a traditional shooting form or a crisp handle on the ball. He isn't the tallest player for his position, nor the fastest. Regardless of those supposed shortcomings, Sochan is a relentless player who brings infectious energy as a hard worker who doesn't back down. That's a valuable player in any era.

His determination has driven him to be a core piece for San Antonio as one of the best defenders and rebounders on the team. His status as a top-tier defender should already be unquestioned. Fans have seen the Polish Prince take on the best player on opposing teams for the last two seasons. Now that he's passed 1,000 career rebounds before completing his third year, there's no denying his hustle, either.

Jeremy Sochan will be key to San Antonio's success

But they have to let him be himself on the floor, and he needs more minutes. San Antonio's defense had been much improved at the beginning of the year. They didn't just defend the initial shot, either. The Spurs were an elite rebounding team that ended possessions by securing the ball, and Jeremy Sochan was a large part of that.

They've gone from being a top-five rebounding team to ninth in the NBA, and while that doesn't sound bad on its face, that drop is due to actually being ranked 22nd over the past 15 games. Sochan hasn't been in the starting lineup, and his minutes have been down over that span, so it isn't a coincidence.

The Spurs would usually like to hang their hat on defense, and with Stephon Castle starting, he was able to help with some of that, but since De'Aaron Fox has arrived, the leading Rookie of the Year candidate has been shoved onto the bench. That means Chris Paul starts alongside Fox, giving SA one of the smallest backcourts in the league with their best perimeter defenders on the bench.

While the need for space is understandable, it doesn't mean much to score more points if you allow your opponent to do the same. The team is much smaller without Sochan on the floor, and when you sit him and Castle, you do your team a disservice. Harrison Barnes only averages 4.1 rebounds per game. He's not the type of player to bang in the paint to secure boards. Sochan is.

CP3 should be coming off the bench. He can run the second unit, get himself shots, and organize the less talented portion of the Spurs team. They need that. Since the Polish Prince has been sent to the bench, he hasn't cracked 30 minutes once. He started the season averaging 8.3 rebounds a night, but that's dropped to 6.1.

Stephon Castle could be starting next to Fox. He should be starting next to Fox over Chris Paul. But if you're not going to put the rook in that unit, put Sochan back in. The team needs the defense and the rebounding. Those aspects of the game are literally what made this franchise a juggernaut in the 2000s and while the game has changed over time, it hasn't changed that damn much.