Mar 14, 2023; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) and Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) battle for rebounding position in the second half at the AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports
The Spurs are in a beginning stage of a rebuild, loading up on young players. With the benefit of hindsight, how did they do in last year’s draft?
The Spurs go into this off-season with a lot of hope. Obviously, they won the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. They also have a ton of first-round picks in the coming years. The majority of their extra picks come from the Hawks but they also have first-round picks from the Celtics, Raptors, and Bulls. Yes, their future is extremely bright due to Wembanyama but they certainly have the picks to surround him with a lot of talent.
They also had three first-round selections in last year’s draft and, with their rookie seasons behind them, we can grade how well they did.
Re-grading the Spurs 2022 Draft picks: 3. Jeremy Sochan, Grade B+
Jeremy Sochan was selected with the No. 9 overall pick in last season’s draft. He came out of Baylor and was selected around where he was mocked in the draft. He was a very solid power forward for the Spurs this season and it seems like he will be able to make a career in the NBA.
You could make the argument that Tari Eason (selected No. 18 was the better player this season) but honestly the difference is so small that it doesn’t really matter.
Jeremy Sochan was one of the better rookies in the league this season. He was a solid rebounder and created enough offense to average 11 points per game. In the future, he could be a double-double machine and a very solid player in this league.
He didn’t really showcase any star potential in year one. He will most likely not be someone who is a household name but he could be a solid starter/high-quality role player in this league. For the ninth pick in this draft, that is a pretty good return and he could be an important piece going forward.