Jeremy Sochan isn’t a point guard, but the Spurs are making him one

San Antonio Spurs second-year forward-turned-playmaker Jeremy Sochan recovers the ball with a 1-point lead and 2:30 left in the second quarter of a Nov. 14 road game against the Thunder from Oklahoma City.

As Sochan rushes onto the court, he doesn’t look at Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who is trying to call a specific play. While the Spurs offense is in action, Popovich implores Sochan to watch him next time.

The Spurs possession ends with a missed 7-foot jumper by Malaki Branham, and Josh Giddey corrals the rebound and quickly gets down the court, passing Sochan for a transition layup to give the Thunder a lead they would never relinquish never in what turns into a transition layup. Rout 123-87.

A furious Popovich quickly calls a timeout.

Sochan approaches his coach, who explains – in a much calmer tone than during the previous game – that Sochan had to watch from the sidelines in these situations.

It was a teaching moment for Popovich, one of many that have happened so far this season. A 3-2 start has been overshadowed by an eight-game losing streak that has dropped the Spurs to last place in the Western Conference heading into Monday’s game against the LA Clippers.

As the Spurs lean into an oversized starting lineup this season, there have been some growing pains.

Devin Vassell is the only traditional guard on the roster. Keldon Johnson has mostly been a small forward with the ability to slide upfield and play the 4 when necessary. Zach Collins is settling into his role as the team’s starting center. And No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama, all 7-foot-4, is malleable enough to fit wherever he’s needed.

Then there’s Sochan, who came into the league a year ago as a power forward, but now finds himself in an unfamiliar position. Before a late October game against the LA Clippers, Popovich called Sochan “our official 2023-24 experiment to see what happens there.”

Popovich said the Spurs joined Sochan partly for defensive purposes, hoping the team could create more damage and deflections. The Spurs averaged 13.9 deflections per game last season and are just below that this season with 13.1 in 13 games.

After Sochan’s first game at point guard in the preseason, Popovich said he liked the pace with which Sochan led the offense, but the coach always said it would continue to be a work in progress.

“This is the first time in my life that I have played the role of leader,” Sochan said. “I do. I make a transition like this in the NBA, which is rare. You don’t see a lot of people go from power forward to point guard.

“There were times where we were like, ‘Yo, I don’t want to.’ It’s like, ‘f— this is shit—.’ I’ll be honest. There have been times where there’s no confidence. But there are times where you’re confident and you just work. Knowing the confidence I have from from the coaches and players, it helps.”

Although Sochan had never played point guard before this season, Popovich said the Spurs did not give Sochan the directive to watch a particular player on film because they always wanted him to be him -even.

“He can’t play like Chris Paul or like John Stockton. He has to be Jeremy,” Popovich said. “So we watch him play and we help him understand how to run a team, what’s happening on the field, what plays are appropriate at what time, what time and what score, all those things. He has to do it in his way.”

Doing things his own way is also what Sochan prefers.

“Your mind is always moving,” Sochan said. “But it’s fun. It’s tiring, but in a positive way. It’s not like I’m trying to hide from it or anything. It’ll be a process, that’s for sure. “

So far, this process has allowed his average assists per game to increase from 2.5 a season ago to 4.5 this season. Its turnover figures are also increasing, going from 1.7 to 2.5. The Spurs average 16.1 turnovers per game, the fifth-most in the NBA. At times, they struggled to get the ball to Wembanyama, who is still averaging 19.3 points per game, the best among all rookies.

Sochan said the mental aspect of being a point guard was as tiring as the physical aspect, but he got help from backup Tre Jones, the Spurs’ only true point guard.

Jones started 65 of 68 games a season ago for the Spurs, averaging 12.9 points and 6.6 assists per game. He was rewarded in the offseason with a two-year, $19 million contract. He quickly moved to the bench while playing slightly less than he did a season ago – 25.3 minutes per game compared to 29.2 per game last season.

Jones said he talks with Sochan about the position and what he sees on the field almost daily.

“We’re always around each other and we’re always at the gym or there’s a movie or whatever,” Jones told ESPN. “It leads to so many different scenarios, but obviously we have a great relationship and friendship and we’re able to talk about so many different things that we’re seeing and that he’s going through right now as well.”

San Antonio has been at its best with Jones as its leader. In 253 minutes with Jones on the floor, the Spurs scored 115.8 points per 100 possessions. With Sochan on the floor, they score 100.1 points per 100 possessions. As a team, the Spurs have an offensive rating of 106.9.

According to Second Spectrum, the Spurs are averaging 0.966 points per possession when Sochan brings the ball up. He’s last among 50 players who have lifted the ball 200 or more times this season.

Still, Spurs are sticking with the Sochan experiment. And Sochan says the support of his teammates and coaching staff has greatly helped him get through the bad days.

“They know that everything won’t always be perfect,” Sochan said.

Sochan said it feels good to know that everyone in the building believes in what he’s trying to accomplish, and that his teammates are dedicated to solving their problems on the field as the season progresses.

“I feel like Jeremy is more than capable of being a point guard,” Johnson said. “I feel like he’s getting better every game and you can see the confidence growing and developing in him. I’m proud of him because it’s something different. … So just to see his growth with all the noise and everything else, I’m very proud of him and I support him 110%.”

The fact that Sochan usually draws the opposing team’s best perimeter defender, while also frequently defending one of the opposing team’s best players on the other end of the court, adds to the challenge of learning a new position. On November 17, Sochan drew Sacramento Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox 48 times, but also defended Domantas Sabonis nine times in half-court games. No other player has guarded both All-Stars in the half court as much so far this season. Defensively, it’s a role Sochan had to take on at times last season as a rookie, but without the added pressure of initiating the offense.

“As a 4, I would guard one of the better players, but normally I would go to the corner and see what the point guard is saying and know my route,” Sochan told ESPN. “But as a leader, you have to know what you’re about to do and everyone’s role in the play. It’s a little more difficult.”

Although initial results from the 2023-24 experiment have been lacking, Spurs are determined to keep Sochan sharp and do everything they can to help him succeed – which, ideally, will lead to success at long term of the team. .

“He has a lot of responsibility on both ends of the court and he does his best to follow the coaches’ game plan,” Wembanyama said. “We have a long-term vision. We’re not there yet. But we’re on the right track. One day it will pay off.”