Sochan shares exciting insight into how Spurs will play with Wembanyama
Everything changed for the San Antonio Spurs after the basketball gods gifted them the number one overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and a golden ticket to selecting Victor Wembanyama. Securing the French phenom has not only flipped their fortunes around, but it has afforded them an opportunity to overhaul their schemes and playstyles on both ends of the hardwood.
Wembanyama immediately helped the Silver and Black reclaim media relevance seemingly overnight, and the organization has been in countless national headlines this summer. Jeremy Sochan has been a significant factor behind the optimism surrounding this rebuilding club, and he shared some thrilling insight into their offense in a recent interview with Bryan Kalbrosky of For The Win.
"Offensively, I’m going to be able to find him, and I think the beautiful thing about it is whoever gets the board, just push it. There is no need to pause after getting the defensive board. The way we want to play is: Whoever gets it, you run. You dribble the ball up."
- Jeremy Sochan
The Spurs made a concerted effort to push the tempo and outsprint opponents last season, finishing second in the NBA in pace, and it sounds like Gregg Popovich will continue leaning on that strategy as the team turns the page on a new chapter. Though youth and athleticism give them a clear advantage when running in transition, Sochan says those tools will set the tone on defense.
"I think it’s going to be scary. Defensively, it’s going to be hard to score against us. We are long. We’re pesky."
- Jeremy Sochan
San Antonio allowed a league-worst 123.1 points per game a season ago, but drafting a generational shot-blocking prospect like Wembanyama should shore up their most glaring defensive deficiencies. The 7-foot-3 teenager has swift feet, an eight-foot wingspan, and unbelievable ground coverage that drastically alters the geometry of the court every time he suits up.