Jeremy Sochan to Become Spurs' Youngest Ever Opening Night Starter

When Jeremy Sochan starts for the San Antonio Spurs, he will be the team's youngest-ever opening-night starter.

The San Antonio Spurs are set to open their 2022-23 NBA regular season schedule with a matchup against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday. 

There have been questions leading into the end of training camp about the starting lineup the Spurs will ultimately deploy to begin the regular season. After practice on Monday, coach Gregg Popovich confirmed the plan is to start Tre Jones, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, and Jakob Poeltl.

Sochan, who was selected No. 9 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, will be the Spurs' youngest ever opening night starter. Born on May 20, 2003, he is still only 19-years-old. 

“Having that first official game is going to be crazy,” Sochan said. “It’s something I’ve always dreamed of.”

Popovich is willing to play through the mistakes that will naturally come with a young player getting such a large opportunity right from the start of his career. Getting comfortable on both ends will pay off in the long run. 

“He’s got the tools to do very well,” Popovich said. “We just want to throw him in the frying pan and see how he does.”

“You’ve got to give him some space, let him make some mistakes and take time to feel comfortable at both ends of the court,” Popovich explained. “It’s a whole new world for him.”

So far, Sochan has quickly realized the differences between the NBA and the collegiate basketball competition he faced at Baylor. He's still getting comfortable  

“It’s the NBA,” Sochan said. “It’s a different league, the best league. Just getting used to it and being comfortable has been the main thing.”

“It’s just realizing everyone is big and long and athletic," Sochan explained. "So it’s being smart as well.”

Sochan wants to be a complementary presence for his teammates on both ends and that's what his skill-set offers anyway. His versatility to switch and guard multiple positions along with his rebounding and passing are what will set the tone for his impact.   

“I think that’s the best way to get yourself involved in a team,” Sochan said. “It’s not only scoring. … I’m a rookie, so I’m not going to come in and take the ball out of other players’ hands. Finding a way to stay on the court doing little things is going to be big for me.”

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