3.) What has Sochan added to his game this summer?
Preseason basketball is all about encouraging an environment that affords coaches and players the freedom of trial and error. Sochan tested the waters with one-handed free throws and sprinkled in a periodic pull-up jumper into his shot diet as a rookie, and San Antonio is hoping to see further signs of development after the first full-length offseason of his career.
Has Sochan tightened his handle? Has he refined his shooting mechanics from beyond the arc? Has he added an eye-opening wrinkle to his game? His first taste of exhibition action could answer those queries and show the organization what he worked on this summer. We will also learn if all the player-marshaled minicamps helped this young ball club form chemistry.
Jeremy Sochan has drained 20 midrange jumpers off the dribble in 48 games this season.
— Noah Magaro-George (@N_Magaro) February 22, 2023
The efficiency isn't great (39.2%), but the Spurs rookie is flashing skills we didn't see at Baylor. pic.twitter.com/OLviVgRmx7
While Wembanyama will rightfully have the liberty to do as he pleases on the offensive end, it would be wonderful if Popovich extended Sochan an equally long leash. The 20-year-old showed heaps of untapped potential as a pick-and-roll passer and self-creator, which is all the more reason the Spurs should let him push the boundaries with the rock in his hands.