The San Antonio Spurs are still eagerly awaiting Jeremy Sochan's season debut, but the team will soon have to make a drastic decision regarding his role. The Spurs are too good and too deep for Sochan to play a large role this season.
That might seem harsh for one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA, but the Spurs haven't missed a beat without him, going 5-0 in the preseason and winning their first five games to start the regular season.
The thought of excising Sochan from the Spurs' rotation completely is too drastic, but he will still likely play a smaller role than expected. After all, he will likely play fewer minutes this season with Luke Kornet playing backup center and even some at power forward.
Jeremy Sochan will have to make the most out of a small role
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That means no center minutes for Sochan and that he won't be splitting minutes at power forward with just Harrison Barnes. The most likely scenario is that Sochan plays around 20 minutes per game, more in games when Kornet or Victor Wembanyama sit.
It's not a huge role for a former top 10 pick in what should be a career year, but it is still large enough for him to carve out a role. What he does in that role will determine his future with the Spurs.
If he is his usual stingy self defensively, shutting down players on the perimeter, and adds more to his offensive game. i.e., shooting, then there is still a path forward for him in San Antonio. The former is easy enough; the latter is still up in the air.
There is a lot at stake for both the Spurs and Jeremy Sochan
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If Sochan has actually learned how to shoot over the summer, then, well, the league is screwed. After all, he is the heir apparent to the Spurs' starting power forward role. That would give them a shutdown defender who can rebound, score in the paint, and hit open threes in that scenario.
If he can't, then he could still have a role on this team, just much smaller than most might have suspected. There is also the matter of [Sochan's pending restricted free agency.](https://airalamo.com/jeremy-sochan-extension-nightmare-awaits-spurs) A strong season might get Sochan paid. On the other hand, a decent season might keep Sochan from drumming up enough interest in restricted free agency to earn an offer sheet.
That makes it easier for the Spurs to retain him, but with the team becoming more expensive, it's not a foregone conclusion he will return next season. Hopefully that isn't the case, and Sochan is able to find a way to contribute in a smaller role this year.