4 Biggest Disappointments for San Antonio Spurs up to this point

The point Jeremy Sochan experience failing horrendously

The Spurs opened up the season with the surprising decision to roll with Jeremy Sochan as their starting point guard. There were signs of this over the summer, but it was still a bit of a shock to see San Antonio jump right into the point-Sochan experience.

It was an utter failure. Frankly, it was one that they should have seen coming. Even for experienced and talented point guards, the transition from college to the NBA can be a challenge. For Sochan, who had never played point guard before this season, it bordered on cruel and unusual punishment. Sochan himself admitted his frustrations but seemed to be taking the learning process in stride.

It is the first time I have ever played point guard in my life. I am making a transition like this in the NBA, which is rare. You don't see a lot of people going from power forward to point guard. There have been moments where it's like, "Yo, I don't want to." It's like, "F*** this s***." I'm going to be honest. There have been moments where there isn't confidence. But there are moments of being confident and just working. Knowing the trust I have from the coaches and players, it helps.

— Jeremy Sochan

When the Spurs finally made the shift to Tre Jones, the difference was as plain as day. With Vic and Tre sharing the floor, the Spurs have a positive net rating, a rarity for San Antonio this season. Jones is a steadying force at point guard, and he quickly acclimated to playing with Wembanyama. They've quickly established chemistry in the pick-and-roll with Vic making an easy target for the naturally pass-oriented Jones.

In hindsight, maybe the Spurs should have slow-rolled Sochan's adoption of the point guard position rather than throwing him into the deep end and hoping he'd learn to swim. Maybe if they'd staggered him more effectively with Jones, they could have found a way to get the best of both worlds. But they didn't. Instead, they wasted the first quarter of the season on an experiment that looked like a failure from the start.

Maybe San Antonio will revisit this down the line and find a way to unlock Sochan as a Draymond Green-styled point forward. Maybe they'll learn from this experience and try a different approach next time. Who is to say what might happen? But for now, this is a black eye that the Spurs will have to wear.