San Antonio Spurs fans are eagerly awaiting the return of Jeremy Sochan, who has yet to play this season. Not just that, but he wasn't able to play EuroBasket over the summer with Poland. That robbed him of a chance to prove himself and show off his recently reworked jump shot.
That has seemingly put him at a disadvantage. After all, players such as the Houston Rockets' Alperen Sengun used the opportunity to work on his game over the summer against high-level competition. Doing so could help transform his game, turning him into a true star.
Instead, Sochan won't have the benefit of EuroBasket and the preseason. That means that he will have to knock off the rust once he finally makes his season debut.
That isn't exactly a great way to start what is now a contract year. San Antonio opted against extending Sochan, meaning that he will likely [become a restricted free agent](https://airalamo.com/spurs-painfully-obvious-jeremy-sochan-extension-decision) after this summer.
Jeremy Sochan missed a golden opportunity to improve
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Not having Sochan ready to start the season has given recently added center Luke Kornet more of an opportunity. The Spurs have experimented with having Kornet play alongside Victor Wembanyama, forming a massive frontline.
They played well together and could give the Spurs a pairing that could yield impressive results this season. However, it may come at the expense of Sochan. Sochan likely won't be able to play center this season, boxing him in to playing power forward exclusively.
He could split minutes with Harrison Barnes. But if Kornet continues to play beside Wembanyama, then Sochan might only average around 20 minutes per game this season.
That is still a large enough role to prove that he can be a part of the team's core. Especially with Barnes being 33 years old and in the final year of his contract. Even so, Sochan being injured during EuroBasket and the preseason may be a big setback that he will have to overcome.
Overall, Sochan missed a clear opportunity to improve his game by missing out on EuroBasket. Him also missing the preseason means that when he finally returns, he will have to make up for lost time to prove himself and earn a new contract.