Defense wins championships, and that's what Jeremy Sochan brings to the San Antonio Spurs. It's no small thing to possess the ability to stymie some of the league's most potent offensive players. The fourth year forward can do that, and actually, he does it all the time. Just ask Luka Doncic.
Top 15 Defenders Faced by Luka Doncic in '24-'25...
What stands out? pic.twitter.com/zwG4mqq4yT
— NBA University (@NBA_University) August 12, 2025
This graphic above shows that the Silver and Black's defensive savant forces Luka into his lowest true shooting percentage. Not Lu Dort, Jaden Daniels, or OG Anunoby. Sochan. Doncic isn't the only one who has problems when being defended by a prideful 6'9" colorfully-haired stopper with a 7'0" wingspan. We've seen it time and time again.
Fans everywhere want the former Baylor Bear to improve on offense, and that's understandable. I agree with you all. But that doesn't mean we should undervalue what he brings to the team right now. He's only going into his fourth year, and he's made improvements. We'd like him to make many more offensively, but this chart also shows that the rest of the guys also need to take steps.
Other Spurs players need to pick up their defense
San Antonio hasn't always been a prolific offensive team through the years, but what used to save them is their fortitude, lack of mistakes in key moments, and a stout defense. They've missed that last part for a while now, and hopefully they get back to it this year. That's why adding Luke Kornet and drafting Carter Bryant were so important this offseason.
If Sochan is able to bundle up a player like Luka Doncic, the Spurs should thrive, but they haven't. Doncic has been a thorn in the Silver and Black's side for years, and it's because he always finds an open guy. The defensive rotations haven't been good enough as guys shade toward the basket, but their star defender doesn't need that kind of help.
It's the same concept that should be consistent when guys are trying to take Victor Wembanyama one-on-one in the post. There's no reason for the others to double-team someone because it just leaves somebody open. If the help defense isn't crisp enough, the ball just moves quickly to find a good shot. These are NBA players. They're going to make most of the open ones.
Elite ball handlers will find a way to put your defense in compromising positions by using screens and whatever array of moves they have in their bag, but Sochan is good enough to stay with most of them. The other players make it easy when they get caught cheating away from their assignment or ball-watching. Cleaning up stuff like that should be another major focus for the Spurs.