The 19-year-old is a self-proclaimed “citizen of the world” (citizen of the world), loves to visit museums everywhere and has a maturity that does not match his age.
On draw night, he wore a lavender Indochino suit, said to have been inspired by Van Gogh, and later invited Gregg Popovich to dinner, saying he cared more about “defense” than scoring.
please continue reading
Yes, it’s time to introduce the hottest rookies in the NBA this year. Please welcome Spurs rookie Jeremy Sochan.
“I have a free spirit in my heart, someone who loves positive energy and is willing to improve off the pitch. I hope this is how the fans see me,” said Sochan. “Traveling the world opens my eyes to different people, cultures, foods and music and helps me to be more open, creative and mature.”
Sochan also believes bringing those experiences into the field could help, joking that he, perhaps, is an “abnormal” 19-year-old, highlighting his distinctive personality traits.
please continue reading
The 2022 draft will bring together many stars of tomorrow, such as Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith Jr. who blocked the top three picks, and Keegan Murray, Jaden Ivey, Bennedict Mathurin who are getting better and better. Ultimately, the Spurs selected Baylor’s Jeremy Sochan with the ninth pick, and many fans started taking notice of this special rookie, not just the bright hair color.
Sochan isn’t known for his scoring abilities, but Spurs are hopeful he can build on that over time. After all, on the defensive side, he did his best and this year can even be called the best defender.
please continue reading
“Going out on the court, I will be different than usual and I will be annoying,” Sochan said, noting that he is good at pissing opponents off with his defense. “Right now I’m still figuring it out, but as the season progresses and I get older, I’m sure people will slowly take notice.”
The Spurs got off to a start that exceeded expectations and their one time record reached “5 wins and 3 losses.” However, due to Josh Primo’s off-field disturbances, team morale took quite a hit. Thankfully, Jeremy Sochan’s maturity on and off the pitch seems to be making the team’s future less bleak, which can be considered comforting good news.
The key to Sochan’s excellent defense is his 7-foot wingspan, engine-like athleticism, and switch-up capabilities that can support all positions on the pitch. Perhaps for this reason, Sochan’s favorite NBA player is Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors: the two met for the first time on November 14 and the defending team won.
“The way he plays, the energy he has on the pitch, will turn opponents off,” Sochan said. “There are many different types of players in the league but Draymond is definitely one of those guys that I want to look up to.”
“I like his fire, his intelligence on the court and his ability to maintain a good basketball IQ and team spirit to play. That’s what I learned from him and (can’t wait) to see it in myself “.
Further reading:Draymond Green ‘breaks’ Warriors salary dilemma? What four-year contract extensions mean for Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins
Thanks to Sochan’s performance in the preseason training camp, he quickly earned Popovich’s respect and was named the team’s starter for the 2022-23 season.
However, for a “Spurs rookie”, how difficult is it?
In 25 years, only one Spurs player has started as a rookie and his name is Tim Duncan. By doing so, Sochan became the first rookie player to start steadily since Duncan in 1997, averaging 24.1 minutes per game while contributing 7.4 points and 4.0 rebounds.
“When I saw the NBA logo, I really went ‘wow,’ and then I realized I can see it everywhere, which is pretty crazy,” Sochan said of reminiscing about starting the season.
“When I was at Baylor, I barely started, but since the preseason game (10/9 against the Pelicans), I’ve continued to start, it’s pretty awesome. Amazing!”
Further reading:2020 Hall of Fame Special: “Stone Buddha” Tim Duncan
Even so, Popovich didn’t have high hopes for this year’s up-and-comer Spurs, and even cracked a joke like, “There shouldn’t be anyone here that’s going to go to Vegas and bet on us to win the championship” on Media Day .
Indeed, the outside world’s expectations for the Spurs aren’t far behind: They are believed to be focusing on 2023 draft pick “French Spiderman” Victor Wembanyama—unexpectedly, they “wrote” a strong start to the season and once ranked among the top eight in the Western Conference. .
Interestingly, Sochan said he wasn’t surprised by the results.
