With Newly Colored Hair, Spurs' Jeremy Sochan Ready to Thrive at 'Natural' Position

The San Antonio Spurs tried Jeremy Sochan at point guard for a good portion of last season, and while it didn't work, it no longer has to. He's back to being a forward and "feeling good" about that fact.

Sep 30, 2024; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) poses for photos during Media day at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio. / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

SAN ANTONIO — Jeremy Sochan doesn't model his game after any particular player.

He's been influenced, sure — his colorful hair and unique personality drawing comparisons to Dennis Rodman, the former Detroit Piston-turned NBA journeyman who took a two-season pit stop with the San Antonio Spurs — but not molded.

He prefers it that way.

"I'm just trying to create me," the third-year forward said during training camp. "Jeremy Sochan."

In his rookie season, that looked as it did in college. Sochan was a strong rebounder with a big defensive presence that, in an uber-optimistic world, could contend for Defensive Player of the Year.

READ MORE: The Ultimate Guide to Spurs Training Camp

More realistically, it's Victor Wembanyama who will lock down the honor at least one time in his career and not the Polish forward, but as far as expectations go for Sochan, that was never one of them.

Sochan was supposed to carve out a rotational spot with the Spurs as a big body. A glass-crasher. A catch-and-shoot 3-point weapon. Last season, however, that's not who he was.

It wasn't his choice, but Sochan played out-of-position for a majority of the year. "The Jeremy Sochan Experiment," as it was coined, didn't go well. Being in an unnatural role detrimented him statistically, but also personally. He was frustrated.

His expletive-filled description of the role, at times, was proof of the latter.

"You don't see a lot of people go from power forward to point guard," he famously said last season. "There's been some moments where it's like 'F*** this s***.''

Feb 25, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) reacts to a call for the Utah Jazz during the first quarter at Delta Center. / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

At the time, Sochan's teammates knew he was frustrated. Was it ever taken too far? Not according to Wembanyama, who chose to focus on the response to the frustration rather than the feeling itself.

"I did not notice any unhealthy behavior," the Spurs star said. "But just as anybody in our career, we go through tough times. It's never easy ... (but) all I see from him is that he's responding the right way."

When there's just one ball bouncing in the gym at Victory Capital Performance Center, a safe bet says it's Sochan. He's still working on his handles and his work around the rim, but this season, it's for a different reason. Now, he's set to re-align with his natural position.

The one he doesn't have to think too much to do.

"It feels good," Sochan said. "It's natural — playing my game and feeding off the guards. We have Chris Paul, but we also have the younger players who have improved and who are still growing, too, so it's been great."

Ironically, the player Gregg Popovich pointed to when discussing Sochan's point guard struggles last season (Paul) is now his teammate.

The Baylor product was never going to be a "Chris Paul," and hindsight says perhaps it was a bad idea in the first place, but even the little bits of point guard the Spurs hoped Sochan could play didn't ever seem to click.

Luckily, they don't need to anymore.

That's the prospect Sochan's teammates are most looking forward to.

"I'm excited for what he's able to do for us," San Antonio veteran addition Harrison Barnes said at media day. "There's a lot of things he can do ... He can cover the best player, rebound, push the floor and run the floor."

READ MORE: Spurs' Jeremy Sochan Addresses PG Switch

When the Spurs hear the lone ball bouncing, a safe bet also says Sochan is working on all of those things. That, and his 3-point shot — something he says is still a work-in-progress.

"I'm a perfectionist," Sochan explained, "so I want it now. But ... it's going to get better, and it has been. It looks different than last year."

Just like his shot, Sochan himself looks different than last season. Both emotionally and physically.

“I’m back to changing my colors,” the pink-haired Sochan said. “I’m excited to interact with fans. I’m excited where we’re at as a team, as a city. We’re ready to grow and level up.”

Does Sochan's comfortability improve the Spurs' capabilities? Absolutely. Does his mood help form higher team chemistry? Also yes.

Is his new hair a good sign for what's to come? The jury's still out on that.

But a safe bet might say yes to that, too.

"Maybe," Wembanyama said with a smile. "It can be."

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