Hoping to improve next season, the San Antonio Spurs have a lot riding on the play of Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox. Even so, the team's success could hinge on the play of Jeremy Sochan.
Sochan is entering a pivotal year, one that could make or break his future with the team and even in the NBA. Hopefully, he will break out and emerge as a huge part of an up-and-coming team. However, former NBA big man Marcin Gortat recently weighed in on his fellow Polish player's role in the NBA and had some interesting insight.
via @matbabiarz : Former NBA big Gortat on Jeremy Sochan:
βHe needs to work on his shooting both around the rim and from outside. His role for the Spurs has diminished lately."
"There are no set plays for him, because heβs not a go-to guy for the Spurs.β #porvida #nba π https://t.co/7DKRksXnlb
β JeffGSpursKENS5 (@JeffGSpursZone) August 15, 2025
Gortat carved out a 12-year career as a terrific pick-and-roll big man, and Sochan could learn a thing or two from him. Sochan is hopefully heading into what could be a breakout season but will have to show and prove next year.
The criticism surrounding Jeremy Sochan's game is warranted
Some of Gortat's criticisms hold weight with Sochan's minutes going down as his role has diminished. That has had a lot to do with his lack of shooting, forcing the Spurs to adjust their lineup, instead going with Harrison Barnes at starting power forward.
To his credit, he actually improved significantly as a finisher last season, contrary to what Gortat had to say. He shot nearly 5% better at the rim last season than he did the season before, resulting in a much better true shooting percentage.
That helped his overall efficiency, which, combined with him being a legit threat on the glass, made him more impactful last season. That's a great sign of improvement, but his shooting ability is still a make-or-break skill.
Jeremy Sochan is actively working to fix his flaws
Offseason workout videos should be taken with a grain of salt, particularly from players who struggle as shooters. How many times have we seen videos of Ben Simmons or Andre Drummond drilling threes during the summer only to chicken out during the season?
Nevertheless, Sochan has clearly reworked his jumper, completely removing the hitch and having a far more compact and consistent release.
Jeremy Sochan shows he is still focusing on his outside shot this offseason... #nba #porvida #sanantonio #gospursgo (via coachmorris IG) pic.twitter.com/NzKKDmiHi0
β JeffGSpursKENS5 (@JeffGSpursZone) June 18, 2025
Jeremy Sochan showing his improvement with his jumper... #nba #porvida #SanAntonio #gospursgo (via IG coachmoris) pic.twitter.com/ASRjRePx1K
β JeffGSpursKENS5 (@JeffGSpursZone) June 20, 2025
Part of his problem as a shooter was that his shot was so slow that it took forever to get off, meaning anyone in his general area could easily close out.
With a quicker release, he'll hopefully be more willing to let them fly, upping his attempts and hopefully his shooting percentage. If that were to happen, then that would allow him to live up to his full potential and possibly rejoin the starting lineup.
That would be the best-case scenario, but Gortat doesn't believe he's made much progress. It's up to Sochan to prove him wrong.