Most of the conversations lately have been about the Spurs integrating De'Aaron Fox into the lineup, but he's going to be fine. Jeremy Sochan is the one everyone should be looking at. He's in the final year of his contract, and the team let the rookie extension deadline pass without giving him a deal. He's the one with a limited offensive skill set. The problem is that he's also one of San Antonio's best defenders.
Fox has experience playing in different systems
Inserting Fox into the rotation should be fairly simple for Mitch Johnson. He's been labeled as a ball-dominant guard, but the facts say otherwise. Swipa's last coach in Sacramento was Mike Brown. Brown comes from the Popovich coaching tree. It's not a coincidence that San Antonio was interested in bringing the speedster down south.
It's not just because he's fast and he can make shots. They've seen him play in a system that requires him to be versatile, and he's thrived in that role. Fox's last few years as a California resident required him to play off the ball and defer to Domantas Sabonis. Domas is a great center, but he's no Victor Wembanyama.
If he has success in Sac under those circumstances, he'll thrive in San Antonio. The Polish Prince is another story.
Sochan is the biggest question mark on the Spurs roster
The Spurs have been a much better shooting team than anyone expected, and that's been a major part of their early success this season. The Silver and Black are seventh in the league in three-point percentage. They've deployed diverse lineups as Coach Johnson gets creative while guys are out, and it's all resulting in a ton of offensive success.
Meanwhile, they have one of the best defensive ratings in the league without Sochan having played a single minute. San Antonio has played a weak schedule thus far, but they're doing what they're supposed to do to inferior teams by blowing most of them out. That's the mark of a good team, and if they can keep up their elite defense when they play better competition, it reduces the need for Jeremy.
But that's only if he remains a defensive specialist who compromises the offense. If he's knocking down shots and making the right reads when the Spurs have the rock, he becomes one of the best Swiss Army knives in the league. There's a wide range for him to swing through, but it starts with him making outside shots and maintaining the space the team has been generating.
I was overly optimistic about how good this team could be this season months ago. I'm going to stick with that approach and hope that Sochan's offseason work will pay off in a big way when he gets back on the court. He'll be hoping the same.