The San Antonio Spurs, with a full offseason under their belt with De'Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama in town, will be vying for a postseason spot in the crowded Western Conference. With the assumed addition of either Dylan Harper or Giannis Antetokounmpo, San Antonio is poised to take a leap.
If the Spurs opt to build through the draft, they will quickly be one of the deepest teams in the NBA, meaning players previously on star trajectories might have to slot into a smaller role.
The young Spurs are approaching that reality with maturity.
"I think players are going to have to sacrifice some of their roles when everyone is healthy," Sochan told USA Today. "I think everyone wants to win."
Sochan is a beast on defense, and while he is not a point guard (as fans learned!) he is a solid facilitator and underrated rebounder. However, his outside shot needs a lot of work if he wants to take the next step as a two-way force.
While Fpx and Wembanyama are spending the summer in Texas, Sochan is preparing for EuroBasket--where he will represent Poland--by attending the NBA Rising Stars Invitational Philippines Qualifiers.
He is using every chance he gets to expand his offense and scoring.
"This is a big summer for me," he continued. "I’m excited for EuroBasket. I want to improve my whole game. I’m working on my shot. I’m working on improving my finishing even more and my ball handling, different reads, attacking different types of big men, depending on how we’ll get guarded because of how unique Victor is as a player. I’m super motivated. I have something to prove. I’m working on my body and conditioning."
If Sochan can be even an average shooter, he is a shoo-in for the starting lineup. If he can't, he will likely return to the bench role that he finished last season playing.
Check out the Inside the Spurs home page for more news, analysis, and must-read articles.