If Jeremy Sochan could only shoot, the Portland Trail Blazers wouldn’t have been able to sign him to a non-guaranteed camp roster deal. He’d still be a member of the Western Conference Champion San Antonio Spurs and without the championship ring he won two months ago with the New York Knicks.
The Polish-national-team representing, one-hand-free-throw shooting forward has had an interesting four years in the NBA. Initially touted as the next Draymond Green, the former Baylor standout was taken with
the 9th pick in 2022, two spots behind Shaedon Sharpe.
Unfortunately, he has since joined the short list of recent Spurs first round picks not to have panned out — a list that includes Joshua Primo, Blake Wesley (sorry Blake), Malaki Branham and Luka Samanic. After being let go in the final year of his rookie-scale deal, Sochan was lucky enough to be picked up by the now-champion Knicks.
His subsequent free agency came and went without any bluster. The Blazers got him on a non-guaranteed deal, an agreement the Knicks could have easily bettered, if they wanted. They didn’t.
But why?
If we’re judging players solely on their ability on one side of the ball, then Sochan would be an All Star. At 6’8, with a seven-foot wingspan, the 23-year-old might be one of the league’s most versatile defenders, able to guard pretty much every position, thanks to incredible foot work, smarts and strength. While he’s not a big blocks and steals guy, his physical gifts allow him to change offenses by making things tough.
You can see the Draymond Green comparison on the defensive end. Sochan is also an above-average rebounder, pulling down 8.1 rebounds per 36 minutes. But the fact that I’ve had to use the per 36 minutes measurement exemplifies his struggle to stay on the floor.
Offense is where everything falls down for Sochan. While he’s slightly redeemed by his ability to finish at the rim, often opting to operate in the dunker spot, his three-point shooting is just horrendous. His career averages read 9.9 points on 47.0 percent from the field, 28.6 percent from three and 72.5 percent from the line, to go with 2.5 assists.
The three-point shot looks bad. There’s a weird hitch halfway through the technique that looks jarring and proves so on the number of shots he misses. The Blazers don’t need him to be Steph Curry, they just need him to get that percentage above 32 percent for him to be playable.
Sochan’s free throw percentage is an interesting one. While 72.5 percent appears passable, it was as low as 45.8 percent during his rookie year. Thankfully, Coach Gregg Popovich and Assistant Brett Brown suggested he try shooting free throws without any involvement of his left arm, a ritual that boosted that rate above 70 percent.
Sochan isn’t bad facilitating in the high post, highlighted by his 3.7 per 36 assist rate, but positive impact is dependent on his ability to stay on the floor.
Making the roster
The Blazers typically take 14 regularly-rostered players into a season. It looks like Sochan could be competing with Micah Potter for the final spot. Potter’s deal has already been partially guaranteed for the season but won’t be fully-guaranteed until January 10.
Though both players serve a position of dire need on this roster, they appear to be the two most easily waived without impacting the salary sheet.
Potter’s main asset is his three-point shooting, a skill this squad needs desperately. But Sochan is the superior, and more versatile defender, especially when it comes to guarding smaller forwards. Potter is more suited to guarding bigs, which, to be honest, the Blazers have plenty in reserve to address with Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams III, Yang Hansen, and Branden Carlson.
As for players who can guard both the three and the four, it’s limited to Toumani Camara, Sochan and maybe Deni Avdija, Sidy Cissoko, and Jrue Holiday.
If the Polish national representative is able to hit at all beyond the three-point line, I think the front office chooses Sochan over Potter, given his defensive prowess, which fits with this team’s profile. But even if he does make the roster, we’re talking about the 13th or 14th guy, depending on how you feel about Vit Krejci, Hansen, and Carlson.
Conclusion
I feel sorry for Sochan who, for all intents and purposes, was touted as a true defensive and playmaking specialist before the 2022 draft, someone who many compared to Draymond Green, a likely Hall of Famer.
If is able to get that three point rate to 32 percent, he probably breaks into the rotation. If he lifts it to 36, 37 percent, we should be excited. He plays a sought-after position, with size, skill and athleticism, two-way ability, rebounding and natural play making ability, that making his team better on both sides of the ball and contributing to winning.
I hope Sochan shows something. I’ve long been a fan of his. Also Potter duplicates the skillsets of a number of names already on the roster. The Blazers still have a lot of work to do address balance and shooting, but I like the thought of taking a flyer on Sochan who still has potential. If he can get his shooting stroke to an average rate…
