The Knicks are learning a hard Jeremy Sochan lesson the Spurs already knew

When the New York Knicks signed Jeremy Sochan after his departure from San Antonio, the move made sense on paper. He’s 22, versatile defensively, high-motor, and has a reputation for doing the little things that contenders need in the postseason. But the early returns have been rough, and not in a surprising way.

The Knicks are discovering the same reality the Spurs learned over three seasons: Sochan was never going to be a seamless offensive fit on a team with playoff expectations.

Sochan’s numbers in New York tell the story. Through his first handful of appearances, he has averaged roughly one point in limited minutes while fighting to stay in the rotation, even losing time to rookie Mohamed Diawara at points. That isn’t because he suddenly forgot how to play basketball. It’s because his skill set requires chemistry. He needs time to settle in.

Spurs fans are familiar with the Sochan experience

Sochan has never been a pure offensive player. He’s not a floor spacer. He’s not a shot creator. He’s not someone you plug into a lineup and immediately generate scoring. His career three-point percentage hovering below 30% has always limited his spacing gravity, forcing teams to use him as a connective piece rather than a focal point.

In San Antonio, that worked because development was the priority. The Spurs experimented—even playing him at point guard during stretches because the goal wasn’t immediate impact. It was long-term growth.

New York already has established offensive hierarchy: primary creators, high-usage scorers, and a couple of rough riders. In that system, a player whose value comes from defense, energy, and opportunistic scoring naturally feels awkward at first.

Scorers like the Polish Prince thrive over time by cutting, crashing, defending, and making secondary reads. Those things don’t instantly materialize in a new locker room during a playoff push. That doesn’t mean the fit is doomed. It means it needs more time.

Sochan’s college coach once compared elements of his game to Dennis Rodman (not stylistically identical, but in terms of impact through effort, rebounding, and defensive chaos). Players like that often take time to be appreciated because their contributions don’t always show up in box scores. They require coaches and teammates to learn how to use them.

Spurs fans already went through the same process: frustration, flashes, confusion, then gradual understanding of what he actually is. He's a defensive disruptor, a connective passer, and a momentum guy. Give him time to gel, and allow him to play to his strengths, and he'll be a fine NBA contributor.